The Magic have a lot of work to do this summer. Orlando’s young core got a first taste of playoff basketball, and now is the time to start building a future contender. To get there, some roster changes have to be made. New players will have to come in, and familiar faces will have to leave.
Markelle Fultz is one of those familiar faces that might be on its way out. After three seasons in Orlando, Fultz will be an unrestricted free agent, and his future is still up in the air. Fultz himself has said previously that he would love to stay with the Magic. For the team, the decision is not quite as easy, however. So, let’s look at the pros and cons of the Magic bringing Markelle Fultz back.
Pros of the Magic bringing Fultz back
The main reason for potentially bringing Fultz back is the Magic’s lack of playmaking. During the 2023-24 season, forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were the team’s primary playmakers and scorers. Carrying two giant responsibilities like that weighed on them, and Banchero has already voiced his desire for a table-setter to join the team.
The Magic should be able to get that in free agency or on the trade market, but you never know what might happen. Even if they bring in a more traditional point guard, there is no guarantee he will be healthy all season long, and the Magic will need a backup.
Cole Anthony is still on the roster, and the hope is that Anthony Black will be more of a contributor next season. Neither one has been a great playmaker recently, however.
Fultz, on the other hand, can be more of a traditional point guard. In his two healthy NBA seasons—2022-23 and 2019-20–he averaged 5.7 and 5.1 assists respectively. So, it seems that theoretically, Fultz could provide the kind of playmaking the Magic need, but has not shown that same impact when he was available this season. Over seven playoff games, he only dished out a total of eight assists.
Cons of the Magic bringing back Fultz
Health has always been a huge concern with Fultz. Since 2017, he has only played more than 60 games twice. In 2023-24, he only played 43 games, which was a lot considering some previous seasons. Even when available, Fultz wasn’t completely healthy, however, and struggled to put up impactful numbers.
No one will be surprised by the Magic anymore, and they will need reliable contributors. Fultz might not be able to offer that if he spends most of the season dealing with injuries again.
Plus, the Magic desperately need more three-point shooting, and Fultz does not provide that. He is a 27.4 percent three-point shooter for his career. His lack of an outside shot is no secret. The rest of the league knows it. Opponents are not afraid to leave him open and clog the paint instead or double someone else. A lack of spacing already hurt the Magic’s offense this season.
There is still potential, especially if the Magic can find other three-point shooters to put around Fultz, but the question is whether or not they are willing to gamble on the 26-year-old to finally be healthy. After all, they are already constantly load-managing Jonathan Isaac.
