Fultz to make Magic debut in preseason opener Saturday
Markelle Fultz has yet to play a single minute in a Magic jersey after the Philadelphia 76ers pulled the plug on the once-promising guard and traded him to Orlando in February.
That changes Saturday afternoon in San Antonio, as Magic head coach Steve Clifford announced Fultz will play in Orlando's preseason opener against the Spurs, according to The Athletic's Josh Robbins.
It's the latest checkpoint in what appears to have been an encouraging preseason for the 21-year-old.
"There were no nerves and just a lot of excitement and I was just happy to be out there and the first day went great," Fultz said at training camp on Tuesday, according to team insider John Denton. "I feel like we all did a good job, I learned a lot, I played hard, and got in better shape today. Overall, it was a great day."
Across 33 regular-season appearances, Fultz has averaged 7.7 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 22.5 minutes.
Fultz shot 41.3% from beyond the arc in college, but injuries and altered shot mechanics have caused him to go just 4-for-15 in 3-point attempts at the NBA level.
Still, he's shown sporadic flashes of the brilliance that led the 76ers to invest a No. 1 pick in 2017. He became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double when he totaled 13 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks in the final game of the 2017-18 campaign.
He also still possesses the stocky 6-foot-4 frame that led draft pundits to project a possible difference-maker on the defensive end.