CAMDEN, N.J. — Markelle Fultz worked out for the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night, and multiple reports soon surfaced saying that on Monday the 76ers and Boston Celtics will complete a trade for the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
According to the reports, Philadelphia will get the top pick in Thursday’s draft and use it to take Fultz. The Celtics will receive Philadelphia’s first-round pick, No. 3 overall, in Thursday’s draft, along with other future picks.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Fultz would not have agreed to a workout with the Sixers on Saturday if a deal was not in place.
Fultz donned a Philadelphia cap as he arrived at the team’s practice facility for a hastily arranged get-to-know-you session, with the workout and a meeting with team officials on his itinerary.
Fultz said he was trying not to pay much attention to the trade talk.
“I’m truly blessed to be in this position,” Fultz said. “Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to taking my talents to wherever I go.”
If the deal happens, the first four spots in the draft would exactly mirror the first-four order from last year. Philadelphia would have the No. 1 pick, the Los Angeles Lakers would choose No. 2, Boston would go No. 3 and Phoenix at No. 4.
Fultz’s rise to stardom has been rapid. In 2014, he was playing junior varsity basketball in high school.
Barely three years later, he’s almost certainly going to become the No. 1 pick.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to help any team I go to,” Fultz said.
The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 25 games during his lone college season at Washington, excelling on a team that finished 9-22 and lost its final 13 games. Fultz led the Pac-12 in scoring, finished No. 6 among all Division I players, and was the top freshman scorer in the country.
Over the past 10 seasons, only two other freshmen had a better scoring average in college: Kevin Durant for Texas in 2006-07, and Michael Beasley for Kansas State in 2007-08.
Durant and Beasley were both No. 2 picks.
Fultz might be a few days away from going one spot better.
“I just wake up and go where they tell me to go,” Fultz said.
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