Orlando Magic: Expectations for Markelle Fultz moving forward

After acquiring the former No. 1 overall pick, there will come a time where the Orlando Magic will get to see what Markelle Fultz can do.

The 2019 NBA Trade Deadline was a busy time for a number of teams, with blockbuster trades, X-factor like moves and salary dumps all in the span of just a couple weeks. There was one move in particular, though, that wasn’t discussed much in the days that followed, and yet, it has the potential to impact the rest of the league in a huge way.

Towards the end of the deadline, the Orlando Magic swung a deal to acquire Markelle Fultz from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jonathon Simmons and both a first and second round pick. A former No. 1 overall selection, Fultz has been going through a very public struggle with his sudden inability to shoot the basketball.

As the saga dragged on for months on end, the Sixers were content to let it all play out, living by their infamous motto and simultaneously wanting a return on the investment they paid a premium to acquire. But after trading for both Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, Philly’s timeline shifted dramatically to a more win-now approach, which left little room for development for Fultz and ultimately led to his exile.

Now a member of the Magic, the former Washington Husky has been given something not many athletes get over the course of their careers: a fresh start. In trading the high-stakes environment of the Sixers for the rebuilding culture of Orlando, Fultz has the chance to rediscover what made him so dominant coming out of college back in 2017.

Having sat out since early December with what was defined as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, the first step is simply making a return to the basketball court. Once there, head coach Steve Clifford can better assess his skill-set and determine the role most suitable for his newest point guard.

The smart plan would be to let Fultz loose and allow him to play and develop through his mistakes, similar to the route the Atlanta Hawks are taking with their franchise floor general in Trae Young. The only issue with the scenario is that despite their relative lack of talent, Orlando is trying to qualify for the playoffs this season, currently residing in the eighth spot in the conference.

Entrusting the entire offense to the still very raw Fultz would be taking an unofficial step back for this postseason-hopeful. In the long-term, it may very well be worth it given his talent level, but it might not be a path the front office wants to take after six seasons spent on the outside of the playoff picture.

So where does that leave Fultz? Still able to crack the starting lineup? Functioning as a ball-dominant sixth man? A lot of it will depend on how he recovers from his peculiar injury, but even more may have to do with the timeline the Magic are willing to attach themselves to, especially given the unrestricted free agency of two of their best players in Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross.

From Orlando’s perspective, this was still a brilliant low-risk trade. The Magic haven’t really had a consistently above-average point guard really since Jameer Nelson, who last played for the team in 2013-14.

Fultz still has a ways to go before reaching even that level, but giving up a guy who was likely out the door anyway and two picks that weren’t even theirs to begin with is well worth the risk for a former top pick who’s only 20 years old.

The Magic seized advantage of an opportunity to acquire a player with immense potential. However, simply acquiring him isn’t enough. The organization has to make sure they do everything in their power to help him succeed both on and off the court, which may end up requiring a redirection of sorts in the present to better serve their future.