The Toronto Raptors have a new face joining the fray, at least for now that is.
As ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania revealed on X, guard Markelle Fultz has signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors.
Raptors sign former No.1 overall pick Markelle Fultz to a 10-day contract
After a standout season at Washington, Fultz was the consensus first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, joining an emerging Philadelphia 76ers team that already featured Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. However, Fultz’s promising career hit a major setback just as it was about to take off. A mysterious broken jumpshot, caused by thoracic outlet syndrome (or TOS) — a rare shoulder injury — severely impacted his on-court impact and derailed his momentum.
Thankfully for Fultz, he found a new home with the Orlando Magic. He spent five seasons there, battling injury setbacks including a torn ACL in 2020-21 and only making 18 appearances after a late return in 2021-22. However, he re-emerged as a key starter and contributor during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, until the Magic decided to move on from him in the 2024 offseason.
Actually, I can recall during the 2024 offseason when Fultz’s name caught my eye as a potential backup guard option for the Raptors, despite the polarizing career he’d had up to that point. Instead, Fultz exited the free agency period that summer without any team picking him up. It wasn’t until February 2025 that he was a late-season addition for the Kings, making 21 appearances for Sacramento with limited impact.
Eventually, Fultz found his way to the Raptors organization when he joined their G League affiliate, Raptors 905, earlier this month. He’s appeared in five games so far, averaging nearly 24 minutes per game. Fultz has put up 9.8 points on 43.9 percent shooting. He’s also contributed 5.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Perhaps the highlight of his brief Raptors tenure so far, Markelle Fultz secured a memorable buzzer-beater against the Motor City Cruise on March 17.
GAME WINNER FROM MARKELLE ‼️ pic.twitter.com/vF8hDcW1yB
— Raptors 905 (@Raptors905) March 17, 2026
Toronto has previously tested the waters with a 10-day contract earlier this season, bringing in former 2018 lottery pick Mo Bamba. However, that stint didn’t lead to anything substantial, and he was let go shortly after. Now, the Raptors are giving a shot to a player from their G League squad, hoping that over the course of the 10 days, the coaching staff can find enough playing time to see if Markelle Fultz still has something to offer at the NBA level.
Fultz has been a serviceable contributor for the 905, so even a small glimpse of that on the main roster is a breath of fresh air right now — especially given the urgent need for depth pieces on the Raptors' bench. This is particularly true after Jamal Shead, Toronto’s primary backup guard, has left a lot to be desired in recent outings.
Toronto has a game later tonight against the Utah Jazz, and reports indicate Fultz is available for the matchup. The 905 recently defeated the Jazz' G League affiliate (in a 116-101 victory), the Salt Lake City Stars, with Fultz playing 13 minutes and putting up 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting, along with three rebounds and one assist. Given the limited minutes in that game, it's safe to assume Fultz has a good shot at seeing some action in the Raptors' contest with the Jazz — and we'll have a better sample to judge his impact.