Sixers draft in review: Markelle Fultz selected with the No. 1 pick
As the Philadelphia 76ers continue with their draft preparation for the 2021 NBA draft on July 29, now is the time to look back on past drafts as we lead up to this one from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
In this edition, we take a look back at the 2017 NBA draft when the Philadelphia 76ers made a big trade with their rival, the Boston Celtics. The Sixers held the No. 3 pick in the lottery, but they made a trade with the Celtics and they moved up to the No. 1 pick where they selected Washington guard Markelle Fultz.
Fultz was expected to be one of the top players in the draft and help the Sixers continue to move forward. However, he suffered from a bizarre shoulder injury that required a lot of time off and treatment for the injury. He played only 33 games for the Sixers across two seasons before he was traded to the Orlando Magic at the 2019 deadline.
In two seasons with the Magic, Fultz has found his footing. There is less pressure to perform in a small market like Orlando. He helped the team make the playoffs in 2020 while playing in 72 games. He averaged 12.9 points, 5.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds to begin the 2020-21 season before suffering a torn ACL after eight games.
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