Markelle Fultz will enter training camp with no restrictions, say Orlando Magic
Thursday 26 September 2019 07:43, UK
Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz will not have any restrictions when training camp begins next week.
After sitting out much of last season with ongoing shoulder problems, Fultz is expected to be a full participant in training camp, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said on Wednesday.
"We don't have any restrictions in place right now [for Markelle Fultz] for training camp," Weltman said. "Obviously, he hasn't been through this in a long time and it's new terrain, but for now there are no restrictions."
This news comes shortly after the Magic picked up Fultz's fourth-year option for the 2020-21 season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. That keeps him under contract with the team for two more seasons.
After months passed with little to no updates on Fultz's status, the Magic posted a number of videos on Wednesday showing Fultz working out at the team's facility.
The former No 1 draft pick certainly appears to be healthy, but it's unclear if he has regained comfort and confidence shooting the ball following a bizarre first two years in the league.
Speaking after his workout, Fultz said: "I can't tell you how great it feels to be out there, after all the trials and tribulations. I'm sticking to living in the now and working hard. I feel real good. I'm looking forward to training camp.
"[This summer] has been more than about just getting shots up. It's been about a lot of rehab and management, when to work and when to not work, because I want to be in here every day. Orlando have been doing a good job of managing me. It has been a lot of me being in the gym, in the weight room getting the right lifts in, getting the right treatment and getting the right work on the court."
Fultz, 21, began last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, playing in 19 games (15 starts) and averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 22.5 minutes a game. He did not appear in a game for the Magic, who acquired him in a February trade for Jonathon Simmons and future draft picks.
Fultz sat out most of last season while undergoing therapy for thoracic outlet syndrome, which causes compression or irritation of the nerves or blood vessels between the lower neck and upper chest.
He was limited to 14 games as a rookie in 2017-18, averaging 7.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 18.1 minutes a game.
It remains unclear if Fultz will start or come off the bench for the Magic, but he should be given opportunities to prove himself considering how thin Orlando is at point guard.
