Markelle Fultz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Notes: Colangelo, Fultz, Brown, Bayless

June 9th, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bryan Colangelo probably had no way to save his job as president of basketball operations, even if he had blamed the Twitter incident on his wife from the start, suggests Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Colangelo resigned Thursday after the completion of an investigation into burner accounts on Twitter that released sensitive information and made critical comments of Sixers players and opponents.

The law firm that investigated the matter concluded that Colangelo acted in a “reckless” and “careless” manner, even though the accounts belonged to his wife, Barbara Bottini. Investigators said they couldn’t prove Colangelo knew about the accounts, but there also isn’t strong evidence that he wasn’t aware of them.

Regardless, Hayes concludes that Colangelo had already lost trust among management and the players and that a change was necessary for the Sixers to move past the incident.

There’s more today out of Philadelphia:

Colangelo didn’t turn in a remarkable performance during his time with the Sixers, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor states his best moves were the decision to retain coach Brett Brown and to add J.J. Redick in free agency last summer. However, Colangelo got little value when he shipped off Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, and he didn’t have any other significant signings or notable draft picks outside the lottery.
Colangelo ignored other voices in the organization who wanted to consider Jayson Tatum or Lonzo Ball after Markelle Fultz turned in a disappointing performance at last year’s pre-draft workout, O’Connor adds. Colangelo reportedly insisted on drafting Fultz after completing a deal with the Celtics that cost Philadelphia the rights to a future first-rounder from the Kings.
Brown won’t have much time to relax this summer with his new roles as GM and president of basketball operations in addition to his coaching responsibilities, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Brown will hold the front office positions until replacements can be found, but that might not happen until after the draft and the start of free agency. “My role in all of this is simply to provide a level of leadership with people I trust and respect and do the best I can while I’m here moving us forward,” Brown said.
One of Brown’s first major decisions will involve guard Jerryd Bayless, Pompey notes in the same piece. As they try to maximize cap space for a run at LeBron James or other elite free agents, the Sixers could be tempted to waive Bayless and stretch his $8.6 million salary over three seasons.

Bryan Colangelo Denies Criticizing Sixers Players Via Burner Accounts

May 29th, 2018 at 11:51pm CST by Luke Adams

In perhaps the most bizarre story yet in a drama-filled NBA season, Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo has denied using several Twitter burner accounts to defend his reputation and to criticize Sixers players.

A compelling report from Ben Detrick of The Ringer connects five anonymous Twitter accounts to one another, suggesting that the accounts are strikingly similar in terms of content, tone, follows, and likes. As Detrick details, these accounts seemingly shared inside information on the 76ers and tipped team strategy — they also criticized current and former Sixers players and defended Colangelo’s track record with the franchise.

After Detrick sent an inquiry to the Sixers asking about two of the five accounts, Colangelo issued a statement claiming ownership of one of the accounts, which had never posted a tweet, denying knowledge of the other. Simultaneously, the three other accounts – which Detrick didn’t mention in his inquiry to the Sixers – went dark, switching from public to private.

The Ringer’s story is worth reading in full for many more details on the circumstantial evidence linking the accounts to Colangelo, as well as for the details on the tweets in question, which go after Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz, Jahlil Okafor, and Nerlens Noel, along with former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie and current Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, who replaced Colangelo in Toronto. Tweets from those anonymous accounts also repeatedly referred to an Okafor trade falling through after he failed a physical, and telegraphed the Sixers’ trade for 2017’s No. 1 pick several weeks before it happened.

While it’s impossible to say at this point that Colangelo is or isn’t behind the five accounts identified by The Ringer, it doesn’t look great for the Sixers’ president, considering the tweets “launched personal beefs, jealousies, [and] frustrations that he’s shared inside and outside [the] 76ers,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Still, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that many executives around the league seem to believe Colangelo’s denials, since it’s hard to imagine a high-level executive would risk his job “in such a reckless manner” — it just doesn’t add up, Woj observes. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (via Twitter), the prevailing sentiment around the NBA – and within the Sixers organization – so far is confusion.

The controversy hasn’t gone unnoticed by Embiid, who was the subject of several negative tweets by the accounts in question. In one tweet tonight, Embiid pretended to accidentally post from his own account rather than from a burner profile, writing: “Joel told me that @samhinkie IS BETTER AND SMARTER THAN YOU @AlVic40117560 #BurnerAccount.” @AlVic40117560, one of the five accounts cited in The Ringer’s story, published a number of tweets criticizing Embiid, many of which the Sixers center “liked” tonight.

However, Embiid was more diplomatic in a statement to Wojnarowski, telling ESPN’s top reporter that he trusts Colangelo’s denials for now.

“I talked to him and he said that he didn’t say that,” Embiid said. “He called me just to deny the story. Gotta believe him until proven otherwise. If true though, that would be really bad.”

Sixers Notes: Probably LeBron James, McConnell, Fultz

May 11th, 2018 at 7:25pm CST by Austin Kent

Sixers head coach Brett Brown made it very clear that the team could benefit from acquiring a high-level free agent as they accelerate their title-contention timeline. That, Derek Bodner of The Athletic writes, probably means one LeBron James, though tampering rules prevented Brown from saying that outright.

The Sixers coach spoke in a press conference after his team’s exit from the second-round of the playoffs, saying that he believes the organization is an appealing landing spot.

Given that the dynamic tandem of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons wasn’t enough to guide the Sixers into the Eastern Conference Finals, the club is ready and willing to add the necessary reinforcements to make a genuine title run.

“I’m not here to tell names,” Brown said in regard to the type of player the Sixers will pursue. “To me, the answer becomes clear. […] It’s true though, right? I mean, like, we don’t have to turn this into calculus. It’s quite clear.”

There’s more out of Philly this evening:

After head coach Brett Brown spoke of attracting a high-level free agent this summer, general manager Bryan Colangelo clarified that the organization needs to add high-level talent in general, which could come in the form of a trade or internal development, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets.
There’s no denying that T.J. McConnell‘s future with the Sixers will be impacted by Markelle Fultz‘s growth as a player. “Markelle is a special player, that’s not a lie,” McConnell told Sarah Todd of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “When he plays at the level that they drafted him to play at, if there’s a spot for me, great; if not, I’m not really sure what I can do about that. Unfortunately, that’s out of my hands. But I’d love to be here.“
The most likely draft-and-stash player to join the Sixers next season is 2017 second-round pick Jonah Bolden out of Australia, The Athletic’s Derek Bodner tweets. The power forward played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in EuroLeague this season.
Unsurprisingly, Bryan Colangelo said that he has no regrets about trading up in the 2017 draft to select Markelle Fultz. Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets that Colangelo doesn’t have an ounce of buyer’s remorse.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Belinelli, McConnell, Fultz

May 11th, 2018 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Thursday about the possibility of recruiting LeBron James to the Sixers this summer, Joel Embiid hesitated and requested clarity on the NBA’s tampering rules before ultimately telling reporters to ask him again on July 1, the first day of the 2018/19 NBA league year.

Still, while Embiid wasn’t willing to commit specifically to helping the 76ers pursue the summer’s top free agent, he did say in general terms that he’s very open to selling players on Philadelphia, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details.

“I’ll do whatever this team needs me to do,” Embiid said of recruiting free agents, per Pompey. “I feel like I’m the leader. If the team needs me to recruit somebody, I’ll be here. I’ll be doing that. … I want to win. I feel like any of those guys that they want to go after that’s going to help us win, I’ll be right here helping them.”

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

Count veteran sharpshooter Marco Belinelli among the free-agents-to-be who has interest in returning to Philadelphia next season. In a post on Twitter, Belinelli tells fans that he “trusted the process since day one” and would like to continue wearing a Sixers jersey.
T.J. McConnell indicated on Thursday that he expects the Sixers to pick up his inexpensive team option for 2018/19 (Twitter link via Kevin Kinkead of Crossing Broad). While that $1.6MM option would be a great bargain for the club, it’s not a mortal lock to be exercised — picking it up would put McConnell on track for unrestricted free agency in 2019, while the Sixers could safely lock him up to a multiyear deal this summer by turning down the option and making him a restricted free agent. (Update: Bryan Colangelo confirmed the Sixers will exercise McConnell’s option.)
After a rookie season in which he appeared in just 14 regular season games and three postseason contests, Markelle Fultz may be a candidate to play in Summer League for the 76ers this July. Keith Pompey explores that possibility in a story for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe took an in-depth and interesting look at how the Sixers’ analytics department informs many of the club’s rotation and lineup decisions.

Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Fizdale, Smart, Porzingis, Raptors

May 5th, 2018 at 9:23am CST by marksuleymanov

Markelle Fultz has been relegated to bench duty for the Sixers‘ past four postseason games as T.J. McConnell has taken over the point guard position. Fultz, the first overall pick in last year’s draft, missed most of the regular season due to a shoulder ailment that impacted his ability to shoot.

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Fultz’s significant time missed and the Sixers’ preference for stability is the reason for his lack of playing time. After all, Fultz missed 68 games in his rookie year and then had just 10 games regular season games to get back into a groove. Head coach Brett Brown said the team is being cautious with Fultz and will continue to do so.

“To say he’s dead and buried, that’s not true,” he said. “But I got a decision to make, and I’ve made a decision. That doesn’t mean it’s etched in stone. It’s always something that you review and I think about. And the care for Markelle Fultz and his future is always on my mind.”

Check out more Atlantic Division notes below:

During the draft process last year, the Celtics worked out Fultz and he said himself that Boston felt like home. Fast forward nearly a year, Fultz is riding the bench in the postseason while Jayson Tatum, the third overall pick, is thriving for the Celtics, per the Associated Press.
David Fizdale is joining the Knicks as the team’s next head coach and now the focus will be on the rest of his staff. Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that NCAA champion Keith Smart, who was an assistant coach in Miami and a part of Fizdale’s staff in Memphis, will likely join the Knicks as an assistant.
Fizdale’s ability to succeed in New York will hinge on his ability to win over Kristaps Porzingis, the team’s injured star who is rehabbing from a torn ACL, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report writes.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun looks at the Raptors‘ future after a bleak start to the team’s Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Cavaliers.

Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Knicks, Brown, Crabbe

May 1st, 2018 at 9:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers need to make some hard decisions this offseason on where top pick Markelle Fultz fits into their future plans, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer argues. Now that they’ve established themselves as a playoff team, they have to decide how to get as deep as possible in future seasons with Fultz playing a bigger role. If Fultz isn’t a playoff-caliber two-guard by this time next year, the dream of a championship season could be dashed, Murphy continues. Ideally. Fultz will soon establish himself as a legitimate third option but they have guard against the possibility it never happens, Murphy adds.

In other news and musings around the Atlantic Division:

Knicks president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry have taken a much more thorough, well-thought-out approach to their coaching search, unlike predecessor Phil Jackson, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The amount of candidates interviewed has reached double digits and the duo has traveled across the country and over the Atlantic Ocean in order to find the right fit, Berman continues. They don’t pretend to know everything and that’s a stark contrast to Jackson, who stopped listening and learning, according to Berman.
Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown vows to play Game 2 of the series against the Sixers on Thursday, as he told A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports. Brown, who was a game-time decision in the opener, is nursing a right hamstring injury. “I’ll be back. I’m playing,” he told Blakely, though he added, “I’m basically trying to come back in two days from a two-week type injury.”
Nets guard Allen Crabbe promises to improve his efficiency and production in his second season with the club, according to BrooklynNets.com. Crabbe averaged a career-best 13.2 PPG and set the team record for most 3-pointers made, but his long-range percentage dropped from 44.4% to 37.8%. “I didn’t have the consistent season I wanted to have,” Crabbe said. “But I got one year under my belt [in Brooklyn] and I know where I can be effective on this team and what I can bring – what I can do. Just go into off-season and come back a completely different player.”

Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Redick, Ntilikina, Nets

April 7th, 2018 at 10:37am CST by marksuleymanov

First overall pick Markelle Fultz missed 68 games due to injury and at one point, it seemed that his entire rookie year would be lost to a phantom shoulder ailment. Instead, Fultz has returned and given a spark to the Sixers the last seven games.

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays that Fultz was “hurt” with the situation because he was not able to play.

“It wasn’t anything about expectations or anything,” Fultz said. “I just felt like something I loved doing I couldn’t do anymore, and it hurt for a little while.”

The 19-year-old has now appeared in 11 games this season and posted modest numbers of 6.8 PPG and 3.4 APG. However, simply being part of the team — which sits in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 49-30 record — has Fultz excited for the remainder of the regular season and beyond.

“I feel like I can help them hopefully by picking up the energy and, when they come out and feel down, just picking them up,” Fultz said. “And for me, when I’m not feeling good, they are doing the same thing for me.”

Check out more Atlantic Division notes below:

In a separate story, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that having a healthy Fultz play alongside Rookie of the Year candidate Ben Simmons presents an interesting lineup scenario for the Sixers. While the duo has shared the backcourt for small increments since Fultz’s return, coach Brett Brown has liked what he has seen in a small sample.
J.J. Redick has been part of playoff teams every season in his career but now his focus is on winning a championship, Sarah Todd of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Sixers are in third place and Redick thinks the team is good enough to go far in the postseason. “I don’t want to put a ceiling on our team this year,” Redic said. “I think this group has the potential to win the Eastern Conference. Whether that’s this year or three years from now, having guys like Ben [Simmons] and Jo [Embiid], you have a chance. Those guys are that good.”
Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina has gained eight pounds over the course of the season and it has reflected well in his play, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
Michael Scotto of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Nets coach Kenny Atkinson sees the Sixers rebuilding model as a point of reference for the Nets. In the lengthy read, Scotto breaks down Atkinson’s view of Philadelphia and how Brooklyn views some of its young players as de facto lottery picks.

Atlantic Notes: Lin, Fultz, Mudiay

March 29th, 2018 at 8:43pm CST by Austin Kent

Sidelined Nets point guard Jeremy Lin has been making progress in his recovery from a knee injury suffered in the first game of the season. Head coach Kenny Atkinson recently told Bryan Fonseca of Nets Daily that the 29-year-old is thrilled to be where he is at this point.

While Lin has been rehabbing his ruptured patella tendon in British Columbia, he’s been in touch with the Nets bench boss, a connection he’s had since his first taste of consistent NBA action with the Knicks back in 2011 (Atkinson was an assistant coach there from 2008-2012).

“He’s so involved. He’s not just sitting there doing his own thing,” Atkinson said of Lin back in February. “He’s always hitting me with stuff after the game; ‘you could’ve done this, you could’ve done that’, it’s great. And I know [the Nets] medical team is all over him. He’s in a really good place, he’s happy with how he’s progressing.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers are happy that Markelle Fultz has regained his shooting form but another area where he could have an impact for the team is on defense, David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “He’s better than I thought,” head coach Brett Brown said. “He’s got an amazing basketball body. His hips are somewhere near my shoulders. He uncoils and he’s 7-foot-6; he’s got size-15 feet. He just is long.“
The Knicks opted to bring Emmanuel Mudiay off the bench in favor of Trey Burke this week and the move is already paying dividends, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes.
After his exit from Los Angeles, D’Angelo Russell has fit right in as a member of the Nets. It doesn’t hurt that he’s appreciating the city as well, Tom Dowd of the team’s official site writes. “It’s cool,” said Russell of Brooklyn. “It’s different. The whole culture is different. I feel like there’s a lot of different crowds out here. You can fit in wherever you want to fit in. It’s great.“

Community Shootaround: Markelle Fultz’s Return

March 27th, 2018 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After months of uncertainty about his status, Markelle Fultz returned to action for the Sixers on Monday night, with head coach Brett Brown making the surprise announcement just a couple hours before opening tip. Fultz’s night got off to a shaky start when he committed a quick turnover and air-balled his first jump shot, but he finished with 10 points and eight assists in just 14 minutes, contributing a few clips to the game’s highlight reel.

It was a long road back for Fultz, who appeared in just four games at the start of the regular season before being shut down due to shoulder issues — and to rebuild his jumper. For a time, it looked like the Sixers may just keep Fultz on the shelf for the rest of the season, playing it safe as they’d done in past seasons with key players like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

However, after last year’s No. 1 overall pick visited the University of Washington during last month’s All-Star break, he returned to Philadelphia focused on getting back on the court this season, according to Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. When he told Brown before Monday’s game that he was ready to go, the 76ers head coach was thrilled to get him back in the lineup and was a little emotional when he made the announcement, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic details.

Fultz’s return is exactly what was needed not just for Fultz himself but for team president Bryan Colangelo, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. As Deveney outlines, a segment of Sixers fans attribute the team’s current success solely to former GM Sam Hinkie, rather than assigning any credit to Colangelo. Considering last summer’s trade for Fultz was the biggest risk Colangelo has taken during his tenure in Philadelphia, he had a lot hinging on the point guard’s recovery. Monday night’s performance in Denver looked like a solid first step toward that move paying off.

Still, with the Sixers set to open the postseason in less than three weeks, it remains to be seen whether they can count on Fultz to play a major role during those playoff games. Philadelphia’s roster is somewhat short on playmakers, so in the view of David Murphy of Philly.com, Fultz is someone who can help. But the extent of the rookie’s role down the stretch remains a question mark.

What do you think? Is it a risk to count on Fultz in the postseason? Will he hold his own as Simmons’ backup at the point? Will he be ready to take on an even larger role by the time the playoffs begin? How has his unusual rookie season affected your view of his long-term potential?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Markelle Fultz To Be Active For Monday’s Game

March 26th, 2018 at 4:44pm CST by marksuleymanov

Sixers point guard and 2017 first overall pick Markelle Fultz will be available off the bench tonight, head coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Gina Mizell of the Denver Post (Twitter link).

Fultz, 19, is available to play for the first time since October 23, missing 68 games in that span.

“He’s put in a lot of work,” Brown said, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I’m thrilled to be able to offer him the opportunity to come join his teammates at this exciting time of the year.”

Fultz will not have a specific minutes restriction, but the team will monitor his play and the situation of the game, tweets ESPN’s Chris Haynes.

Fultz’s first NBA season has been hampered by injury and shrouded in mystery. Just four games into the year, the No. 1 pick was sidelined with a scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder. The ailment forced Fultz to alter his shooting motion, which was causing him discomfort.

In those four games, Fultz posted averages of 6.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.8 APG.

At the time of injury, Fultz was shooting just 33% from the field and did not attempt a single three-pointer. That was out of character for the young guard, whose field goal percentage (47.6%) and three-point shooting (41.3%) was solid as a freshman at Washington.

The Sixers issued a statement in early December that Fultz’s shoulder injury had healed and he was not in pain. However, confusion about his status lingered as he did not play and multiple videos of him shooting showed a hitch in his release.

Fultz will back up Rookie of the Year candidate Ben Simmons at point guard.