The Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks were reportedly interested in signing veteran guard Markelle Fultz before the former first-rounder reached a deal with the Sacramento Kings earlier this week.
Markelle Fultz Drew Interest From The Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks Before Signing With The Sacramento Kings
Fultz, 26, joined the Kings in New Orleans on Thursday less than 24 hours after signing with Sacramento. He was in uniform but did not play in the Kings’ 140-133 overtime loss to the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.
In an interview with Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, Fultz said he had been training Monday through Friday in Los Angeles in recent months while preparing for his comeback.
He drew interest from the Clippers, Bucks, and other teams before agreeing to a contract with the Kings following a private workout in front of assistant general manager Wes Wilcox and other members of the organization.
Free agent guard Markelle Fultz has agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agent Raymond Brothers of I AM Sports & Entertainment told ESPN. Kings have searched to find a point guard – and land a deal with the former No. 1 overall pick. pic.twitter.com/oqnBqnpyCy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 13, 2025
Fultz said he’s eager to show Kings fans that he’s still capable of overcoming his injuries and reestablishing himself as a consistent scorer. He has good size and length at 6-foot-4 with a 6-9 ½ wingspan.
“This is the best I’ve ever felt since being in the league,” Fultz told Anderson. “I never had the opportunity to take my time and get healthy, so being able to do that last summer has been great for me. I’m super excited for this opportunity and I’m thankful for it.”
The Maryland native spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, averaging 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 234 games (164 starts).
Fultz’s NBA Career Was Nearly Ended By Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
The Clippers and Bucks missed out on a special player.
Fultz was a productive standout in college who averaged 23.2 points while shooting 47.6% from the field and 41.3% from 3-point range, but he has shot just 27.4% from beyond the arc at the NBA level while dealing with a rare shoulder injury.
His career was nearly ended by a severe shoulder injury that was diagnosed as thoracic outlet syndrome, which affects nerves between the neck and shoulder. The injury hindered his ability to shoot a basketball.
Although Fultz eventually recovered and scored 26 points in Orlando’s 120-113 win over the Washington Wizards on Dec. 27, 2020, he suffered a season-ending left ACL tear in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 6, 2021.
Fultz appeared in a total of 26 games over two seasons with Orlando from 2020-22. He was also limited to 43 games (18 starts) in 2023-24 due to a right meniscus injury that required surgery over the summer.
In 60 games (all starts) with the Magic in the 2022-23 season, he averaged career highs of 14 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 29.6 minutes per contest while shooting career bests of 51.4% from the field and 31% from deep.
The Kings signed Fultz to improve their backcourt depth after sending De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin to the San Antonio Spurs in the three-team trade with the Chicago Bulls that brought Zach LaVine to Sacramento.
