What was that about Markelle Fultz, the NBA’s consensus No. 1 pick, only meeting with the Boston Celtics?
Though it was initially expected the point guard would only break bread with the owners of the no. 1 pick, it turns out he will be meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers, proprietors of the second overall selection, according to NBA Insider Adam Zagoria:
Projected No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz is expected to meet this week with the Lakers, per source. Has met with Celtics pic.twitter.com/y8Tbc1iP8L
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 12, 2017
A meeting is different than a workout, so maybe Fultz is giving other teams in the top three or five courtesy face-to-faces. Or maybe he’s worried that he left a bad impression on the Celtics. ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman said the floor general didn’t shoot particularly well during his workout with Boston (via WEEI.com). Selling himself to the Lakers is a good idea in the event he feels like he’s not a lock to go No. 1.
Hell, sitting down with the Lakers is a good idea, period. The Celtics are wild cards. They probably won’t trade the No. 1 pick, but they may decide to throw the draft order for a whirl and select another wing in Josh Jackson. They “reached” for Jaylen Brown at No. 3 last year, and Jackson fits their hyper-versatile, three-and-D mold—especially with Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart due for significant raises by 2017-18.
We’ll no doubt hear more about Fultz’ reasoning between now and the June 22 draft. In all likelihood, he isn’t slipping past the Celtics. Anything to the contrary is probably your typical, and annual, pre-draft noise that lacks any serious weight.
But, hey, you never know.
