Sixers

Markelle Fultz Wants Out, and Has Apparent Wrist Injury

By Russ Joy

Published: Nov 21st, 2018 · 7:16 PM EST

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I’m fuming. I’m angry. More than anything, I’m disappointed. Markelle Fultz – the player many billed to be the missing piece and perfect fit with franchise cornerstones Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons – reportedly wants out of Philadelphia and has been suffering from a wrist injury, according to a report by Shams Charania of The Athletic:

In addition to a previously diagnosed right shoulder injury that continues to impact him, Fultz has been playing with an apparent injury in his right wrist area that has adversely affected his ability to shoot, league sources told The Athletic. The issue has led to periodic difficulties holding on to the ball during his shot. Specialists have been working with Fultz to figure out how they can strengthen the wrist area to remedy the injury.

Sources with knowledge of Fultz’s thinking have also told The Athletic that the player would prefer a fresh start with a new team.

Oh yeah? That’s rich. The city who’s cheered on the kid like he’s freaking Rudy would now prefer to go to another city that’s going to do what exactly? How do you think his teammates feel? They’ve supported the guy ad nauseam. What about Brett Brown? He’s mentored the kid and has by all accounts served as a father-figure in his basketball life.

Remember the fallout with his now former trainer Drew Hanlen? There was a report that someone in Fultz’s camp had it out with Hanlen at some point, leading to irreparable damage to their relationship. Enter another SHAMSBOMB:

[Fultz] shot 1-for-6 in the first half of the home opener against the Chicago Bulls. Just about everyone from Fultz’s camp was in attendance, including his mother Ebony and trainer Hanlen.

At halftime, multiple witnesses observed Ebony yelling at Hanlen. According to sources with knowledge of the argument, she was angry that results were not showing for Markelle and Hanlen walked away. Hanlen did not work with Fultz again after that fight and officially parted ways.

Great example you set there, mom. Any word from Hanlen? You bet:

“Legally I am not allowed to address the situation or talk about anything regarding my time with Markelle.”

OH?! That’s great. Could it get any worse? YES IT CAN! Danny Ainge knew– apparently Ainge and his staff noticed that something was off with Fultz during his workout with the Celtics. Keep in mind, Fultz didn’t shoot well at his Sixers workout, which was mostly a Chick-fil-A thick formality, but that was chalked up to fatigue or some other nonsense.
Great. One last thing: Fultz hid the initial shoulder injury from the Sixers’ staff.

Fultz did not mention that he was suffering from shoulder soreness to the team until training camp began, and he proved unwilling to take shots from the perimeter. After observing Fultz passing up chances to take outside shots during a pre-camp informal scrimmage, 76ers staff pulled him aside and asked him to shoot from three-point range. He airballed multiple shots.

So now, the Sixers are left with a shell of a player, whose third-rate agent (35th in the NBA in total value of contracts represented for 2018-19) has cratered whatever remaining value with his mandate that Fultz see a specialist and pull out of all basketball-related activities. If this report is to be believed, he and his camp have lied and deceived from his pre-draft workout until this very day.

fraud
\ˈfrȯd  \
1. Deceit/Trickery specifically: intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right
2. Markelle Fultz

Thanks, Markelle. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.