Photo Credit: Winslow Townson/AP

Sixers Head Coach Brett Brown Is Sad About Markelle Fultz Trade

Last year’s number one draft pick, Markelle Fultz’s saga is still as strange and controversial as it was during his rookie season.

At the beginning of said rookie season, Fultz played through a shoulder injury that apparently caused him to forget how to shoot. All we know is that Fultz did not shoot weirdly in college, but does now.

But no doctor was really able to diagnose an injury, or a cause for the shooting woes and possible pain Fultz was experiencing.

Then, after plenty of unsuccessful doctor appointments, Fultz finally was able to find out the reason for his shooting woes. He was diagnosed with Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, (TOS), a physical injury. TOS affects nerves between the neck and shoulder resulting in abnormal functional movement and range of motion, thus severely shoot a basketball.

But the Philadelphia 76ers’ win now mentality did not give them the time to wait on Fultz, and the franchise traded their former No. 1 pick to the Orlando Magic prior to Thursday’s trade deadline.

Fultz is finally given a fresh start and the Sixers can move on from all the buzz surrounding his person.

But even though the Fultz-Sixers relationship never was the successful story everybody thought it was destined to be, both sides never threw any shade at each other and remained professional. More so, head coach Brett Brown even was sad that Fultz was traded.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t (say I felt) sad. And it was two emotions I felt, sad personally, selfishly I suppose that I never really felt like I got a chance to coach him. I never really felt like the city got a chance to see him. I felt sad for that. And I was pleased for him that, you know, he had a new start, he had a fresh start, another opportunity.”

#Sixers coach Brett Brown on the @MarkelleF trade to the #OrlandoMagic. pic.twitter.com/G2MngMixWg

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) February 8, 2019