The Sacramento Kings made quite a surprising yet respectable move by adding former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz to their roster.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report on the acquisition, writing, “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.”
Fultz, the former Philadelphia 76ers guard, will mesh nicely alongside the Kings’ new-look Big Three of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis. While the 26-year-old is quite a step down from superstar guard De’Aaron Fox, who was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs at the trade deadline, he can still help bolster their playoff aspirations.
The Kings are the No. 9 seed in the competitive Western Conference with a record of 27-26, but just a bad week or two could drop them down the standings. The reality is Sacramento has slim chances to come out of the West after moving on from Fox, which is why fans are so puzzled by their direction.
The most widely assumed route the Kings’ front office is taking is they’re simply tired of losing a plethora of games every season. By remaining competitive and adding pieces like Fultz, the fanbase will continue to hold out hope.
Fultz last played with the Orlando Magic in 2024, where he averaged 7.8 points and 3.2 rebounds on 47.2% shooting in 43 appearances. The 2023 campaign is widely considered the best of his career, proving he can still bring much value to a contender, but only if he’s able to remain healthy.
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