Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz will continue to see medical specialists about his right shoulder into next week, continuing a search for solutions that has included several rounds of examinations in recent days, league sources told ESPN.
The Sixers will wait until Fultz completes those appointments before approximating his next steps on a return to the franchise, a team official told ESPN.
Fultz's teammates are increasingly concerned about his overall well-being beyond his struggles on the court, league sources told ESPN. The organization has expressed its support as Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, completes his consultations in the coming days.
He met with physicians in New York over the course of the past week and stopped at the team's suburban Philadelphia practice facility briefly between appointments, sources said.
Fultz's agent and attorney, Raymond Brothers, informed the Sixers on Nov. 21 that Fultz would seek further opinions on his shoulder before a return to the court --- a decision that the organization has left to Fultz and his management team.
Fultz, 20, has lost the ability to carry out and follow through on long jump shots, and there has been internal and external debate about how much of this perplexing circumstance is physical versus mental. He has missed the past four games.
Before Fultz stepped away, it appeared that guard T.J. McConnell would be taking over a majority of Fultz's minutes as the 76ers' backup point guard.