Markelle Fultz

Markelle Fultz
Born	(1998-05-29) May 29, 1998 Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2017–present
Known for	First overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft; NBA player for Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings

Markelle N'Gai Fultz (born May 29, 1998) is an American professional basketball athlete who most recently played for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Prior to turning professional, he competed in college basketball with the Washington Huskies. Fultz was chosen as the first overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 NBA draft.

In his sole season (2016–17) at Washington, Fultz took on roles as both a point guard and a shooting guard. Although the Huskies experienced a disappointing season, Fultz received third-team All-American recognition along with first-team honors in the All-Pac-12 Conference. He started his NBA journey with Philadelphia, was later traded to the Orlando Magic in 2019, and eventually signed with Sacramento in 2025.

Fultz’s early professional career was significantly affected by thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), which curtailed his offensive contributions. Consequently, he is often labeled as a draft bust.

Early life

Born on May 29, 1998, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Fultz is the younger sibling in his family. Following his father’s departure, he depended largely on his mother, Ebony. From a young age, Fultz demonstrated a strong passion for basketball and received early guidance from local coach Keith Williams. In 2012, he joined the basketball-centric DeMatha Catholic High School. While showing promise on the freshman squad, he was cut from varsity during his sophomore year due to an unrefined running style and physical immaturity. Nevertheless, he thrived on the junior varsity team, showcasing his abilities.

Raphael Chillious, an assistant coach for the Washington Huskies, identified Fultz’s potential to compete at an NBA level as he reached by his junior year. As a starter on DeMatha’s varsity team, Fultz posted averages of 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, earning him Player of the Year accolades in the highly competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. Among his standout moments were clutch free throws that secured a win over Jayson Tatum and recording a triple-double at the Hoophall Classic. His recruitment profile rose sharply; he was ranked 24th nationally in the Class of 2016 and received more than 20 scholarship offers.

On August 21, 2015, Fultz officially committed to playing for the University of Washington. During his senior year at DeMatha, he averaged 19.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest while setting a new single-season assist record for the school with 278 assists. He also led DeMatha to its second consecutive conference championship. At the prestigious McDonald's All-American Game, Fultz contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Additionally, he tallied 19 points during an East team victory at the Jordan Brand Classic. Representing Team USA at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, Fultz emerged as the tournament’s leading scorer and earned MVP honors after scoring 23 points in the gold medal match.

By the conclusion of his senior year, Fultz had established himself as a five-star recruit ranked among the top ten prospects nationally for 2016. Scout.com rated him as the third-best point guard nationally and multiple recruiting outlets placed him within their top ten overall rankings. At DeMatha Catholic High School, Fultz shared a roster with Chase Young, who would later become NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

College career

The Washington Huskies entered the 2016–17 season expecting to feature Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss as key players, but both were selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft. Fultz remarked that had they remained, the team "would be No. 1 in the country" and strong contenders for the NCAA tournament. With a roster lacking established talent and only one returning starter, Fultz stepped up as the team's leader and primary offensive weapon. Starting at point guard, he opened his collegiate career with a 30-point performance despite a 98–90 defeat to the Yale Bulldogs.

Although the team struggled to a 9–22 record, Fultz produced one of the most impressive freshman campaigns in Pac-12 history. Across 25 contests, he averaged 23.2 points per game—the highest scoring average in the Pac-12 over twenty years and second only to Bob Houbregs' 1952–53 total in Huskies history. He also led the conference in minutes played (35.7 per game) and assists (5.7), while ranking second in rebounds (5.9). Fultz was Washington’s lone Pac-12 honoree, securing First-team All-Pac-12 and Third-team All-American accolades. Experts widely anticipated him as the top overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, praising his athleticism and playmaking abilities.

Philadelphia 76ers (2017–2019)

Fultz was chosen first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 NBA draft and signed a four-year rookie contract on July 8. The 76ers, determined to move beyond years of underperformance, centered their core around Fultz, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons, aiming for deep playoff runs. In his NBA debut on October 18, Fultz contributed 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist over 18 minutes off the bench. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury described as a "scapular muscle imbalance" severely hindered his shooting consistency, resulting in just 33 percent field goal accuracy and no three-point attempts across four games. Consequently, Philadelphia placed him on an indefinite absence.

Speculation ensued regarding whether his shooting struggles were mental or physical in nature. Fultz later clarified that the issue stemmed from injury rather than psychological factors. During rehabilitation, adjustments to his shooting form made under an external coach attracted criticism. Team president Bryan Colangelo indicated that Fultz might miss the entire season; however, he returned on March 26, 2018, facing the Denver Nuggets, where he posted 10 points and 8 assists in only 14 minutes despite ongoing difficulties. On April 11, at just 19 years and 317 days old, Fultz became the youngest player at that time to achieve a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists—a milestone later eclipsed by LaMelo Ball.

In the following 2018–19 season, head coach Brett Brown appointed Fultz as starting shooting guard, replacing veteran JJ Redick. After fifteen games, he lost this position to newly acquired star Jimmy Butler. Persistent uncertainty over his health and performance continued. On November 20, his agent announced that Fultz would refrain from practicing or playing pending further evaluation of his shoulder; he was diagnosed with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), a condition affecting nerve function between the neck and shoulder that significantly impaired his shooting ability.

Due to this injury preventing him from replicating his collegiate offensive dominance, Fultz is widely regarded as a notable Draft bust.

Orlando Magic (2019–2024)

On February 7, 2019, Fultz was traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Jonathon Simmons, a first-round draft pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and a second-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers. In March, Magic head coach Steve Clifford described Fultz's shoulder injury as "very serious," which postponed his comeback. Fultz made his debut for Orlando on October 23, 2019, contributing 12 points and six assists in a 94–85 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Fultz delivered a standout performance on December 27, 2020, scoring 26 points during a 120–113 win against the Washington Wizards. Unfortunately, on January 6, 2021, he tore his left ACL in a game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, which prematurely ended his 2020–21 campaign.

He returned to action on February 28, 2022, facing the Indiana Pacers. On April 10 of that year, Fultz set a personal best with 15 assists in a 125–111 victory over the Miami Heat. Later, on March 18, 2023, he achieved a career-high of 28 points and added four steals in a 113–108 win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sacramento Kings (2025)

On February 12, 2025, Fultz signed a contract with the Sacramento Kings.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 14 || 0 || 18.1 || .405 || .000 || .476 || 3.1 || 3.8 || .9 || .3 || 7.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 19 || 15 || 22.5 || .419 || .286 || .568 || 3.7 || 3.1 || .9 || .3 || 8.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando | 72 || 60 || 27.7 || .465 || .267 || .730 || 3.3 || 5.1 || 1.3 || .2 || 12.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando | 8 || 8 || 26.9 || .394 || .250 || .895 || 3.1 || 5.4 || 1.0 || .3 || 12.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando | 18 || 3 || 20.0 || .474 || .235 || .806 || 2.7 || 5.5 || 1.1 || .3 || 10.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando | 60 || 60 || 29.6 || .514 || .310 || .783 || 3.9 || 5.7 || 1.5 || .4|| 14.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando |43||18||21.2||.472||.222||.697||3.2||2.8||1.0||.3||7.8 |- | style="text-align:left;" | Sacramento |21||0||8.8||.418|| .500||1.000||1.0||1.3||.5||.1||2.9

|- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career |255||164||24.0||.470||.280||.732||3.2||4.4||1.1||.3||10.4

Playoffs

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | 2018
| style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia
|3||0||7.6||.143||—||.750||1.0||1.7||.7||0||1.7

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | 2020
| style="text-align:left;" | Orlando
|5||5||29.3||.400||.375||.857||2.2||5.2||1.0||.6||12.0

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | 2024
| style="text-align:left;" | Orlando
|7||0||15.1||.588||0||.556||2.0||1..1|||..4|||0|||6..4

|- class"sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
|15|||5|||18..3|||..446|||..353|||..700|||1..9|||2..6|||0..7|||0..2|||7..3

College

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17 | style="text-align:left;"| Washington | 25 || 25 || 35.7 || .476 || .413 || .649 || 5.7 || 5.9 || 1.6 || 1.2 || 23.2

External links

• Washington Huskies profile
• USA Basketball profile