Remember when Markelle Fultz was supposed to be the next great point guard? Remember when the Philadelphia 76ers traded up to draft him No. 1 overall and fans thought they'd found their franchise savior?
Yeah, me too.
Now, at 27 years old, Fultz is signing a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. He's joining the team for his ninth NBA season after spending time with the Raptors 905 G League affiliate.
Let that journey sink in for a moment. From No. 1 overall pick to G League player to 10-day contract. That's not the career trajectory anyone envisioned when Fultz was dominating college basketball and scouts were comparing him to the next generation of elite NBA guards.
But you know what? This is the story sports needs to tell more often.
Not every No. 1 pick becomes LeBron James or Tim Duncan. Sometimes injuries happen. Sometimes the mental game gets harder than the physical game. Sometimes the pressure of being "the guy" becomes too much to handle. Fultz dealt with all of it - the yips, the shoulder injuries, the constant scrutiny, the endless "what went wrong" think pieces.
Most people would've quit. Most people would've taken their guaranteed money, walked away from the game, and tried to forget the whole experience.
Fultz is still fighting.
That's what this 10-day contract represents. It's not just a roster move or a depth signing. It's a 27-year-old man saying "I'm not done yet." It's a former No. 1 pick swallowing his pride, grinding in the G League, and earning another shot at the NBA dream.
The Raptors are taking a low-risk flyer on a guy who, on his best days, showed flashes of why he was the top pick. Fultz can still get to the rim. He can still make plays. He's still got the physical tools that made him a lottery pick. The question has always been: can he put it all together?
