NBA Trade Deadline 2019: 5 trades to save Markelle Fultz

By Josh Ejnes | Feb 6, 2019

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 18: Head coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to Markelle Fultz #20 in the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center on October 18, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Bulls 127-108. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

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SACRAMENTO, CA – JANUARY 10: Buddy Hield #24, Iman Shumpert #9, Nemanja Bjelica #88 and Yogi Ferrell #3 of the Sacramento Kings talk during the game against the Detroit Pistons on January 10, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Sacramento Kings

The Kings are a team that has played surprisingly well this year; led by second-year point guard De’Aaron Fox they’ve been able to play above .500 basketball so far this season, and they play at a pace so fast that would make Keanu Reeves in Speed proud.

As good as a season as this has been for the Kings it’s still pretty unlikely that they’ll be able to really contend, especially not in the stacked Western Conference; this puts them in a weird in-between place. At best the Kings might be able to clinch the eighth seed, which would just lead to a quick playoff exit, but it’s also too late for them to effectively tank for a draft pick.

One player whose future with the Kings is pretty unclear is Willie Cauley-Stein. He has been having a career year, and if he keeps playing at a high level throughout the season it’s pretty unlikely that the Kings will be able to hold onto him when he hits restricted free agency this summer.

The Kings know this, and there are already rumors flying around about how they want to move him.

Next. NBA Trade Deadline 2019: 5 buried veterans who could help a contender. dark

Fultz would be an interesting choice, and he has enough time left on his contract where he’d be in his potential prime during the team’s championship window.

There’s no guarantee that he’ll pan out, but developing on a team with low expectations surrounded by other promising youngsters sounds like a pretty ideal situation for Fultz (the Sixers would likely also need to add picks to sweeten the pot.)

In exchange, the Sixers would get a quality big to bolster the team’s roster as they make a push for the playoffs.