Hornets Free Agent Targets: Markelle Fultz

Preview of UFA guard Markelle Fultz and how he may fit with the Charlotte Hornets

Apr 7, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz (20) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 26 Height 6'4" Positon: PG/SG Previous Annual Salary: $16.6 Million

Scouting Report

The former number one overall pick (2017) has had an...interesting career. Fultz was a can't miss, future All-NBA point guard in Philadelphia. He ended up battling a myriad of injuries, specificially to his shoulder, which caused a massive rebuildling of his shooting form. All to end up as a solid role player on a young Orlando Magic team.

As it stands, Fultz is a useful two-way NBA player. His main bugaboos are injuries and poor shooting. Fultz is still struggling with long-term affects of a 2021 ACL repair. He missed 39 games last season, with 27 of them due to knee tendinitis. His injury struggles caused his role in Orlando to lessen. Fultz started 60 games in 2022-23, but only 18 this past season.

Oh top of that, he's never developed into a real shooting threat. His 48.2% true shooting percentage was third worst in the league, only ahead of Killian Hayes and Scoot Henderson. Not only has his efficiency gone down, but his attempts have as well. Fultz's attempts from both mid-range and three plummeted in 2023-24 after league average rates in his career best 2022-23 season.

How 2023/24 Went

Stated it above but...not well. Fultz came into the season with sky-high expectations following a promising 2022-23 campaign with Orlando. The team was ascending, and Fultz was set to be a key piece in Orlando's first contending team in some time.

His counting stats plummeted. Fultz averaged 14.0 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in that career-best 2022-23 season. He was finally delivering on the promise that he showed in his freshman season at the University of Washington. However, Fultz played significantly less games in 2023-24, and his production slashed in half.

The backup guard averaged 7.8 points, 2.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds, all on worse shooting stats. Field goal percentage, free throw percentage, effective field goal percentage, two-point shooting percentage, you name it, it went down. The guard rotation in Orlando saw major change, and Fultz was the odd man out. Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Cole Anthony, and rookie Anthony Black siphoned Fultz's minutes as he battled injuries.

The production was limited, but Fultz was revered by his teammates and peers across the league. He finished 12th in the annual Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award voting, one of the highest honors in basketball.

Fit with the Charlotte Hornets

If Charles Lee wants to build the Hornets like the Boston Celtics, his current team, Fultz is an awkward fit. Every player that steps on the floor for Boston is at minimum an average three-point shooter. Fultz, as stated, is not that.

Fultz struggled to separate himself from other back court options in Orlando, and he may have the same problem in Charlotte. Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, Nick Smith Jr., and Cody Martin will all be fighting for minutes. What could Fultz bring to distinguish himself from Charlotte's current options?

His best bet is on the defensive end. Dennis Smith Jr. endeared himself to Hornets' fans in his one season in teal and purple with high-flying dunks and hyper-competitive defense. If Fultz can bring that, and his positive value as a teammate, he's worth looking at in the open market. Charlotte has desperately needed a veteran leader for some time, and Fultz can be just that for a young roster.

Projected Salary: $8-10 million per year