Markelle Fultz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Interested In Dewayne Dedmon

January 30th, 2019 at 2:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers have shown interest in acquiring Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, but they may have to part with Markelle Fultz to get a deal done.

Philadelphia has a need for more athleticism and defense off its bench, which Dedmon would provide. The 29-year-old is averaging 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in his second season with Atlanta.

The Sixers have been reluctant to part with Fultz, even though he has played just 33 games since being selected first overall in the 2017 draft. He remains sidelined indefinitely with thoracic outlet syndrome and continues to do rehab work on his shoulder.

At $8.3MM, Fultz is a rare mid-level contract on a team that has nine players making less than $5MM, Bontemps notes. Dedmon has a $7.2MM expiring contract, but Philadelphia may not have anything else that the Hawks want for salary matching purposes if Fultz isn’t included.

The Sixers thinned out their bench by sending Robert Covington and Dario Saric to Minnesota in the trade for Jimmy Butler. Coach Brett Brown tried Furkan Korkmaz as a backup forward, but teams were exploiting his defensive weaknesses too frequently to leave him in the lineup, according to Bontemps. Brown has attempted to turn backup center Mike Muscala into a power forward, but it’s tough for him to guard smaller and more mobile players at that position.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics Trades, Mudiay, Fultz, Noah

January 25th, 2019 at 8:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics are unlikely to make a big move prior to this year’s trade deadline, NBC Sports’ Tom Haberstroh reports in a story relayed by NBC Sports Boston’s Darren Hartwell. With Indiana losing Victor Oladipo for the season, the Celtics have less incentive to make a drastic change. They’re hoping Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown bounce back during the second half of the season, then will look to trade for Anthony Davis during the offseason.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

Knicks point guard Emmanuel Mudiay will be sidelined at least two weeks with a left shoulder strain, the team’s PR department tweets. Mudiay suffered the injury against Houston on Wednesday and the original prognosis was confirmed by an MRI. Mudiay is averaging 14.7 PPG and 3.9 APG.
Markelle Fultz traveled with the Sixers on their current road trip but the second-year guard has not been cleared for basketball activity, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets. It’s not anticipated that Fultz will be cleared during the trip and thus he’s limited to physical therapy as he works his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome.
Joakim Noah takes responsibility for flopping with the Knicks after signing a four-year, $72MM contract, as he told Frank Isola of The Athletic. Noah is playing for the Grizzlies after getting released by New York. “I think these are all life lessons. It was a tough time for me mentally,” he said. “Failing like that on a stage I really wanted to do well on. I take responsibility. It took me a while to digest that.”
Blake Murphy of The Athletic runs down a wide variety of trade scenarios for the Raptors, though they’re also unlikely to make a big move.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Noel, Butler, Fultz

January 20th, 2019 at 10:20am CST by Arthur Hill

Joel Embiid‘s back soreness is creating a dilemma for the Sixers as they battle for home court advantage in the playoffs, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia may prefer to rest Embiid, but the team leads Boston by only a game and a half in the race for fourth place and is in the middle of a challenging 12-game portion of its schedule.

Embiid said his back was “pretty tight” after Saturday’s loss to the Thunder, but his first choice is always to play. He missed his first two NBA seasons with a broken bone in his foot and appeared in just 51 games last year as the team was being cautious about his condition.

“I have to keep getting treatment on it,” Embiid said of his back, “and it’s going to get better.”

Pompey observes that Embiid moved gingerly on the court yesterday and used a heating pad on his back when he went to the bench. It could turn into a season-long question for the Sixers as they balance the value of home court advantage against the prospect that Embiid won’t be 100% at playoff time.

There’s more Sixers news to pass along:

Nerlens Noel‘s appearance in Philadelphia yesterday with the Thunder served as a reminder that he could have been the rim-protecting backup center that the Sixers need, Pompey notes in a separate story. The sixth player chosen in the 2013 draft, Noel spent two and a half seasons in Philly before being traded to the Mavericks. He signed with Oklahoma City last summer.
Two months after acquiring him from the Timberwolves, the Sixers are still working to make Jimmy Butler fit with all their other pieces, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic. He finds that Butler’s usage rate when he’s on the court with Embiid is just 18.1%, well below the 28.2% mark when he’s playing without Embiid or 27.8% when he and Ben Simmons are together without Embiid.
The Sixers welcomed Markelle Fultz back to the team this weekend, but his future remains cloudy, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Fultz will remain with the organization as he does rehab work after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, but there’s no timetable for him to start playing again. “It’s great to see him … it’s good to have him back,” said coach Brett Brown, who added that the team needs to assess whether he’s in basketball shape after being away so long.

Markelle Fultz To Continue Rehab In Philadelphia

January 19th, 2019 at 1:58pm CST by clarkcrum

Sixers guard Markelle Fultz has returned to Philadelphia to continue his shoulder rehab with the team, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. There is still no timetable for his return, but he will be attendance for today’s game between the Sixers and Thunder.

Fultz, who was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in early December, has been rehabbing in Los Angeles since the diagnosis, but now plans to continue his rehab at the Sixers’ team facility in hopes of an eventual return to action this season.

The Sixers have fielded several trade offers for Fultz this season, but it appears that the team remains interested in seeing how the 20-year-old fares throughout the course of his rehab before making a decision on his future with the team.

The No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, Fultz has had a disappointing start to his young career, averaging a pedestrian 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per contest in 33 career games.

Injury Updates: LeBron, Cousins, Paul, Gordon, Fultz

January 1st, 2019 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers superstar LeBron James did some shooting but little else during practice on Tuesday, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN. He will miss his fourth straight game on Wednesday due to a groin strain suffered on Christmas Day. It remains uncertain how much more time he’ll need to return. “He’s working on his body, his game, himself all the time. But that’s the first time I’ve seen him shoot [since the injury],” coach Luke Walton said. The Lakers are 1-2 without James.

We have more injury news from around the league:

DeMarcus Cousins is still uncertain when he’ll make his debut with the Warriors, Marc J. Spears of ESPN writes. Cousins has practiced with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors and was involved in private 5-on-5 scrimmages with Warriors teammates last week, Spears notes. “It will mean everything when I get back,” Cousins said. “All the hard work. The dedication. Good and bad days. Tears, cramps and pain. Everything.”
Rockets guard Chris Paul has “no clue’ when he’ll return from his left hamstring strain, according to Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle. Paul has missed the team’s last eight games.
Rockets guard Eric Gordon is hopeful his bruised right knee will heal fast enough to allow him to play against Golden State on Thursday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Gordon, who suffered the injury on Saturday, is waiting for the swelling to go down. “I can’t really do a whole lot,” Gordon said. “They didn’t tell me an actual time frame. I know if I’m able to run. I don’t care how much pain I have, I’m going to play.”
Sixers second-year guard Markelle Fultz will be re-evaluated early next week for his thoracic outlet syndrome condition, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The top pick in the 2017 draft hasn’t played since November 19th. Philadelphia remains hopeful that Fultz can return this season.
Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday after missing the last 10 games with a quad strain, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes.

Dinwiddie Extension Good News For Rozier, Russell?

December 28th, 2018 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

League executives at last week’s G League Showcase in Las Vegas were “raving” about the Nets‘ deal to lock up Spencer Dinwiddie to a three-year, $34.3MM extension, comparing it to the Clippers‘ three-year, $24MM agreement with Lou Williams, writes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider-only link).

According to Marks, two teams he spoke to in Vegas had Dinwiddie ranked as the third-best point guard in the 2019 free agent class before he signed his extension, placing him behind only Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker. That would have put Dinwiddie ahead of younger players like Terry Rozier (Celtics) and D’Angelo Russell (Nets), both of whom are on track for restricted free agency.

Rozier and Russell should benefit from Dinwiddie’s deal, since it takes one of 2019’s top FA point guards off the board and could create additional competition for their services. According to Marks, league execs in Vegas last week identified the Magic and Suns as probable suitors for Rozier and Russell, though the Celtics and Nets will have the upper hand until an offer sheet is on the table.

Here’s more from Marks:

Teams are monitoring Markelle Fultz, not just to keep an eye on his health and future, but also to see how Fultz’s status will impact Sixers teammate T.J. McConnell, according to Marks. McConnell is headed for unrestricted free agency and is unlikely to get an in-season extension if Philadelphia intends to maximize its 2019 cap room. McConnell could command a salary in the $5-7MM range, Marks notes.
Teams around the NBA believe there could be a strong group of buyout candidates available later this season. According to Marks, the veteran players that clubs are keeping an eye on include Carmelo Anthony, Robin Lopez, Zach Randolph, Anthony Tolliver, Enes Kanter, Kenneth Faried, Jerryd Bayless, Iman Shumpert, Kosta Koufos, Alec Burks, J.R. Smith, and Jabari Parker. Some of those vets may be traded and some figure to remain with their current teams, but I could definitely see several of them ending up on the buyout market.

With ‘Improvement’ To Range Of Motion, Markelle Fultz Eyes Return This Season

December 25th, 2018 at 3:39pm CST by Austin Kent

While the Sixers‘ front office was supposedly uncertain whether or not Markelle Fultz would be available to return to their lineup this season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the second-year guard does plan to suit up in 2018/19.

Fultz has joined the Sixers for their Christmas Day game against the Celtics today, accompanying his teammates for the first time in three weeks.

Wojnarowski reports that Fultz does plan to leave the squad again in order to continue his rehabilitation in Los Angeles but has, per his agent Raymond Brothers, seen an improvement in his range of motion since beginning to work to address his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome diagnosis.

Not surprisingly, Fultz and Brothers intend to let the former first overall pick work his way back to 100% before being thrust back into the lineup but they do expect that milestone to come before the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Wojnarowski notes that the club has fielded trade offers for the 20-year-old but that they are interested in seeing how he fares throughout the course of his rehabilitation.

Sixers Notes: Fultz, Z. Smith, Roster Depth, Embiid

December 23rd, 2018 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

With Markelle Fultz‘s status as uncertain as ever, Sixers GM Elton Brand admitted Saturday he’s not sure if the second-year guard will play again this season, writes Sarah Todd of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Fultz, who hasn’t seen game action since November 19, has been diagnosed with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. He is doing rehab work away from the team, and there’s no timetable for a possible return.

“He’s in L.A. with Judy Seto, … who Kobe [Bryant] swears by, progressing well,” Brand said. “He’ll be with us on Christmas, with his family. … Our staff, or someone from the organization has been in touch with him daily, or someone in his camp daily.”

Brand added that another update is expected after the holidays as team doctors re-evaluate his condition. The top pick in last year’s draft, Fultz had started 15 of 19 games and was averaging 8.2 PPG before being sidelined by the injury.

There’s more this morning out of Philadelphia:

Brand has more definite news about this year’s first-rounder, Zhaire Smith, who hasn’t played yet this season, Todd relays in the same story. Smith had surgery on his left foot in August, then had his rehab interrupted by complications from a peanut allergy, but Brand said the organization expects him to be ready before the season ends. “Zhaire is in the gym every morning, early in the morning, sometimes 5 a.m. He’s in good spirits,” Brand said. “He’ll have another test on his foot after the holiday and we expect to see him back this season. Not this year, but this season.” Smith will likely be sent to the Sixers’ G League team in Delaware when he is ready to return.
Brand expects to make at least one more move to add roster depth before the February 7 trade deadline, Todd adds. Philadelphia gave up some depth when it sent Robert Covington and Dario Saric to Minnesota to acquire Jimmy Butler. Brand agrees with coach Brett Brown that the team could use another perimeter defender. “We’re not a finished product right now,” he stated. We’re going to get better.”
Since the Butler deal, the Sixers have relied on Joel Embiid to provide more 3-point shooting, but the center wants to make that a smaller part of his offensive game, relays ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I don’t like shooting 3s,” Embiid said. “I only do it because of the spacing that we have, and sometimes I have to take them.”

Magic Rumors: Fultz, Rozier, Russell, Ross, Simmons

December 19th, 2018 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

As they cling to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Magic are said to be exploring the trade market in search of possible deals, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

According to Kyler, an ideal trade for Orlando would involve a starting-caliber point guard. While D.J. Augustin is having another solid season for the Magic, averaging 10.3 PPG and 5.0 APG with a shooting line of .450/.439/.875, the 31-year-old is almost certainly not the long-term solution at the position for the franchise.

Here’s more on the Magic’s hunt for a point guard, along with a couple other rumors out of Orlando:

While the Magic have been named as a team with interest in former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz, team sources have downplayed the seriousness of any talks they’ve had with the Sixers, Kyler reports.
The Magic have begun to do due diligence on some of 2019’s free agent point guards, with Terry Rozier and D’Angelo Russell among the players on their radar, sources tell Kyler. Rozier is considered Orlando’s top potential target, Kyler adds. However, he’ll be a restricted free agent and figures to attract interest from several other teams too.
Although many teams believe the Magic are “open for business,” the front office won’t be willing to make any deals that compromise their long-term outlook, says Kyler. In other words, players on expiring or short-term contracts are Orlando’s most likely trade candidates.
Marc Stein of The New York Times suggested on Tuesday that the Magic are more inclined to move Jonathon Simmons than Terrence Ross, but league sources have repeatedly told Kyler that Ross would have more value on the trade market, even though he’s on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2019. Ross’s name is the one that comes up most frequently from teams that have been “poking around” Orlando’s roster, per Kyler.

Atlantic Notes: Dinwiddie, Butler, Embiid, Fultz

December 16th, 2018 at 7:06pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

The Nets made news last week when they agreed to a contract extension with point guard Spencer Dinwiddie. The three-year deal totals $34MM+ and includes a player option on the final year, which would allow Dinwiddie to re-enter the free agency market at age 28 to secure another contract.

The decision to give Dinwiddie the extension might have appeared simple on the surface, but Michael Scotto of The Athletic analyzes how it may impact the decisions the Nets have to make on upcoming restricted free agents D’Angelo Russell and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Russell will very likely be looking for more money on his next contract, while the Nets also have 2019 free agency aspirations as they look to make the next step and become a playoff team. For now, they have locked up a quality point guard for the foreseeable future on a very reasonable contract as they look to navigate the waters without Caris LeVert moving forward this season.

There’s more from the Atlantic division:

In his running column on the Sixers for The Athletic, Derek Bodner explored the fit between Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid, especially in light of the comments Embiid made about the questionable fit and role he has had since the trade.
The Sixers have struggled recently as a result of Butler’s injury, which, as Tim Bontemps writes for ESPN, exposes the team’s lack of depth on a nightly basis. Bontemps also discusses the notion that subsequent roster moves that would help solve the 76ers’ depth issues moving forward.
According to Marc Spears of The Undefeated, Ben Uzoh, a former point guard that also dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome during his playing career, has reached out to Markelle Fultz to provide him with advice on how to navigate the diagnosis and properly recover as the Sixers‘ young point guard looks to get his career back on track.