How sure is Markelle Fultz that he’ll be drafted with the first overall pick?
Really sure.
Like, really, really sure.
Really, really, ridiculously sure.
So sure, he will only be working out with the Boston Celtics, owners of that No. 1 pick, according to Philly.com’s Keith Pompey:
The #Sixers have workouts scheduled for every top prospect besides Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball. Fultz will only workout for #BostonCeltics
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) June 5, 2017
This isn’t exactly ground-breaking stuff. A consensus No. 1 pick doesn’t always work out for every team, or even any team. But it’s interesting that Fultz chose to break a sweat with the Celtics. It suggests one of four things.
Option 1: He has a promise from the Celtics that they’re going to draft him. Option 2: He knows that the Celtics are undecided, but also knows that any of the teams below them will pick him up if he’s still on the board. Option 3: The Celtics are undecided, and he legitimately wants to try swaying them. Option 4: This was always the plan. He would work out for the owners of the No. 1 pick, because his draft stock has that luxury.
At any rate, Fultz has met with Boston’s president Danny Ainge. The two were spotted grabbing a meal together:
@stoolpresidente @FelgerAndMazz @StoolGreenie caught @MarkelleF lookin at the next 10 banners. Put my life on Fultz at the 1. pic.twitter.com/I2thYcZmoy
— Jeremy Rubin (@JeremyRubin10) June 6, 2017
These meetings don’t typically mean anything profound. Teams work out lots of players. But Fultz and the Celtics are a fit. He has the best chance, it seems, of becoming a franchise floor general, and the Celtics’ backcourt situation, while promising now, will soon be in flux with Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart all up for new deals by the end of next season.
So expect the Celtics to draft him. If they don’t, well, the absence of a work out with other teams won’t stop them from selecting him. In fact, it would be one of the most surprising moments in NBA draft history if he slipped past the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 2.
