Let me lead with this upfront: This is not a Markelle Fultz hate article. After a year of looking silly writing mean things about the Magic, I’m not returning from my offseason hiatus just to get back into that habit.
If anything, I’m more optimistic than when the Orlando Magic made the trade back in February. At the time, I wrote that fans weren’t properly considering Fultz’s downside, that the Magic gave up two picks and an expiring contract for what could amount to nothing. Based on what we’ve seen, at a bare minimum, Fultz will see time on the court, avoiding the absolute worst-case scenario I warned against.