The worst-kept secret in the NBA is that the Boston Celtics are going to select Markelle Fultz with their first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. It’s not a foregone conclusion, of course, but he’s been the consensus top pick for a while and the Celtics don’t seem interested in going in a different direction.
Meanwhile, Fultz doesn’t seem too bothered by the thought of being the top pick in the draft and playing for a historic franchise coming off a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. (I know: it’s shocking). After his meeting with Celtics’ management, Fultz was pretty clear that he wanted to be their guy.
Following via Chris Forsberg of ESPN:
“It almost feels like I belong here,” Fultz told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman during a tour of the arena that included a stop outside the Celtics’ locker room, where the former Washington star studied the pictures of Boston legends that line the hallways.
Playfully asked if the Celtics had told him he’d be the No. 1 pick, Fultz said it never came up in conversation.
“No, no, no, they didn’t say that. They didn’t put that out there. I gotta earn everything,” Fultz said. “Just talking to them, we didn’t really talk about me getting drafted or anything like that, but more about me being a better young man, no matter where I go. Just what’s going to make me the best player I can possibly be.”
To cement Fultz’ place as a Celtic, the point guard also told ESPN that he is “undecided” on working out for any other teams. Given the mutual interest between him and the Celtics, it seems very unlikely that he will.
