12 Free agents Dallas Mavericks must pursue after Klay Thompson signing

3. Markelle Fultz

One of the most surprising free agents still available now is Markelle Fultz. After years of disappointment and failing to live up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 draft, he has found a niche as a role player for the Orlando Magic.

However, after reportedly being treated as expendable by the Magic in the last campaign, he remains unsigned. It may have something to do with the franchise acquiring another free agent, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, whom the Dallas Mavericks also apparently showed interest in signing earlier in the offseason.

With the former Denver Nuggets joining an already crowded Magic backcourt, Fultz may be looking for a new home. He is worth taking a look at because of how well he played in the 2022-23 season, where he started in all 60 of his appearances and averaged 14.0 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 51.4% from the field.

However, he was relegated to a reserve role the following campaign and struggled to maintain his production. Still, Fultz continued to showcase his defensive aptitude, which the Mavs could definitely find use for. Given the relative lack of market for the athletic point guard, Dallas might be able to get him without breaking the bank.