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But in rewarding Key, the Raptors pushed the decision on which of their active two-way players they’ll convert (Chuck Hepburn is still recovering from knee surgery) down the road even further. According to multiple sources, the Raptors initially planned to convert one of Alijah Martin or AJ Lawson in mid-March when their salary cap position would allow it. But they veered from the plan – first to sign Markelle Fultz on a 10-day and now Key.
There remains the possibility that one two-way deal could be converted before the end of the season, but if the Fultz experiment hits, the required roster spot wouldn’t be available, unless the Raptors were to waive someone else. Both Lawson (21.8 points on 47/37 shooting splits) and Martin (19.1 on 50/39) have had strong seasons for a 905 team that is 22-12 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. “I'm staying ready whenever I get my name called,” said Martin, the Raptors second-round pick from last summer. “I'm just blessed keep getting better every game, just trying to find ways to improve and keep making an impact and winning." And as for earning a standard NBA deal before the end of the season? “I'm just focusing on basketball,” he said. “I just try to do my job. I got a great (agent) and I trust their work and I will make sure I handle my part. So that's all I'm really focused on. Keep my body right, keep my mind right. Keep winning games and keep being impactful.”
Josh Lewenberg: Fultz is expected to be available in Utah tonight & could get some run with Quickley out. Alijah Martin is another option; currently listed as out (on G League assignment) but 905 played in Salt Lake this AM so he’s with the team & impressed in spot minutes earlier this season.
Shams Charania: Former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz is signing a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors, Raymond Brothers of I Am Sports & Entertainment tells ESPN. Fultz joins Toronto for his ninth NBA season after spending time with the Raptors 905 G League team.
With the salary cap situation the Raptors are in, March 15 was the first day they could add a player at the pro-rated minimum salary and stay under the luxury tax threshold, which was the impetus for Toronto trading Ochai Agbaji at the deadline in February. It doesn’t sound like the Raptors are in a rush to sign a player for the remainder of the season, but they are planning to use the roster spot and the flexibility they have to sign someone to a 10-day contract. Just looking at the calendar, if the Raptors add a 10-day signee on Wednesday before they play the Chicago Bulls, they could have him on their roster for a stretch of six games: their entire five-game west-coast road trip and their first game back in Toronto on March 27 against the New Orleans Pelicans. As for who? That’s a different question. The Raptors have seen some encouraging signs from Markelle Fultz with Raptors 905, but you get the sense they’d like to see him get closer to NBA game shape after a long lay-off before committing there. We’ll see.
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Orlando played two games against Cleveland in the reported time frame of April 2023. The regular starters at that point were Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Gary Harris, Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. However, two of those players are removed since it was also confirmed that the player is not currently on the team. An arrest could come if enough evidence is found against the player, similar to the cases earlier this season. The Magic organization can rest a little easier knowing that they won’t have to deal with the drama of it being someone on the team. Expect Orlando to cooperate and try to get through this quickly to focus on their difficult season.
Eastern Conference scout No. 1 on Dylan Harper: I don’t think he has a real high ceiling, but I think he’ll play, and play for a long time. College assistant coach No. 2 (his team played Rutgers): Very talented, can go both ways, right, left. Prefers left. Obviously, the bloodlines are there. Is he a one or a two? College head coach No. 1 (his team played Rutgers): He’s as good as anyone we’ve played against, including Markelle Fultz and Jabari Smith. He’s not as good as Cunningham or Anthony Edwards, who we also played. Really good reads out of pick-and-rolls for his age.
“It’s not genetics or familial. It just randomly happens in certain people and is more common in people who have repetitive arm movements,” said Dr. Christopher Yi, vascular surgeon at Memorial Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. “Wembanyama, that’s probably what’s going on with him. In golf, Nelly Korda had that. It’s just sort of random people with repetitive arm movements.” Jump shots certainly are among those types of arm motions. Yi notes how overuse of the arm and shoulder can cause the veins in the thoracic outlet to compress, known as thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). TOS became more widely known in NBA circles when 2017 No.1 overall pick Markelle Fultz was diagnosed with it when his career sputtered early. This condition can slow down the normal flow of blood through the vein, increasing the risk of clotting.
Jason Beede: The #Magic will play a tribute video for Kings guard Markelle Fultz at the first timeout in the first quarter during tonight’s game, I’m told.
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James Ham: OFFICIAL: @SacramentoKings assign Markelle Fultz to the @StocktonKings
Sean Cunningham: Kings have assigned Markelle Fultz to G League Stockton. Looks to be for some extra practice/scrimmage as Stockton won’t play until Wednesday.
“My knee was really bothering me, which ended up compensating and messing with my shoulder a little bit,” Fultz said. “Being able to take the summer to really rehab my knee and get my full body the way I wanted to get without having to rush anything was big for me. I’m glad I had an opportunity to do that and now I’m able to get back on the court. Fultz said he has been training Monday through Friday in Los Angeles in recent months while preparing for his comeback. He drew interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and other teams before reaching an agreement with the Kings following a private workout in front of assistant general manager Wes Wilcox and other members of the organization.