NBA Trade Grades: Magic take on Markelle Fultz from 76ers
By Luke Duffy
The Orlando Magic have addressed their point guard issue by adding the enigmatic Markelle Fultz, giving up Jonathon Simmons and two draft picks in the process. Here are the latest NBA Trade Grades.
With less than an hour to go before the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline shut down player movement for the rest of the regular season, the Orlando Magic made a move that their fans had been yearning to see for quite some time.
As first reported by ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Magic are adding point guard Markelle Fultz from the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor, the Magic gave up a considerable haul to get their man, with Jonathon Simmons, a 2020 first round draft pick (top-20 protected, by way of the Oklahoma City Thunder) and a 2019 second-rounder (via the Cleveland Cavaliers) all heading to the Sixers:
On the surface, this feels like a move that will favor the Magic, but there is far more to this 11th hour move than meets the eye. Let’s take a look at how both sides got on in making this move with the latest NBA Trade Grades, and what it means for them in the short- and long-term.