Markelle Fultz is back in the NBA.
After the trade deadline (which included De’Aaron Fox going to San Antonio), the Sacramento Kings had a glaring hole at backup point guard. They have filled it by signing Fultz, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, who has been out of the league to this point in the season. Shams Charania of ESPN broke the story and the Kings made it official (as did Fultz).
In Orlando, out of the spotlight and pressure of being the No. 1 pick of the 76ers, Fultz developed into a solid backup point guard when healthy.
However, a couple of things kept teams from signing him. First, there were health concerns — he played 43 games last season and 129 over the previous four, including tearing his ACL in 2021. Second, he needs the ball in his hands to be most effective, yet he’s not a great shooter (22.2% from 3 last season).
Still, he could provide the Kings with solid bench minutes as a backup point guard. He’s also a solid defender, which Sacramento needs more of at just about every position.
