5 Free agents who should no longer be on Timberwolves' radar after the NBA Draft
By Austin McGee
4. Markelle Fultz
Another point guard and high draft pick, Markelle Fultz's career has been even weirder than Smith Jr.'s. The surefire best prospect in a draft that included Smith Jr., Jayson Tatum, De'Aaron Fox, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, and others, Fultz has only averaged 11.1 points across 234 NBA appearances.
Like Smith Jr., Fultz is a good playmaking driver with the physical gifts to be a plus defender. Unfortunately, similar to Smith Jr., Fultz is a wholly unreliable shooter. The former Philadelphia 76er has only made 79 three-pointers in seven seasons. His three-point marksmanship, or lack thereof, will forever be puzzling after looking like a three-point threat in college.
In the NBA, Fultz is best used when flanked by shooters. He's an athletic, lanky guard who's agile with the ball in his hands. While Dillingham and Fultz are totally different players, they both make a living breaking down defenses.
Adding Fultz to a backcourt featuring Dillingham would be redundant. Although Fultz is a much bigger player at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, his defense isn't special enough to trot out alongside Dillingham and Alexander-Walker.
The former Magic guard actually performed quite poorly on the defensive end a season ago, despite his impressive physical traits. Fultz's opponents shot 4.5 percent better when defended by the 26-year-old point guard. In conclusion, the Washington product is best deployed as a primary playmaker and he'd be unable to possess that role in Minnesota.