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Fultz is enthusiastically embracing a fresh start with the Kings, following a turbulent journey in the NBA filled with ups and downs.

Markelle Fultz didn’t play an NBA game for 292 days.

But the bank never closed for the new Kings point guard, who continued to put in his “daily deposits” over an extensive time away – a catchphrase he repeatedly uses to help portray his path back to NBA action.

He braced for his Kings debut against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, his first game in a Sacramento uniform and first home game at Golden 1 Center. It was the team’s first game since the NBA All-Star break, but Fultz had stayed in Sacramento for a majority of the week-long hiatus to get acclimated to his new home.

Fultz repeatedly walked in and out of the locker room before the game, maybe by coincidence, maybe some pregame jitters. Most of all, though, he was thankful to see his name plaque in an NBA locker room. Thankful for the opportunity to sport “Kings” across his chest. Thankful for a chance to hoop. Thankful to play for a fanbase as receptive and passionate as the Kings’.

“Oh yeah. I know they’re super crazy,” Fultz told NBC Sports California of Sacramento fans. “Every time I played here, they’ve always been super loud. Always packed out. Even when they weren’t the best, they still came out and showed up. So I know one thing for sure is that they support their team and they love their team.

“I felt the love even without playing my first game. The atmosphere around, walking around, hearing people say they’re glad for me to be on the team to have opportunities. So I know they get to it.”

Fultz spent the last five seasons with the Orlando Magic. In the past two campaigns, his sixth and seventh in the league, he was part of a Magic squad that ranked fourth- and fifth-youngest in the league, respectively.

Less than one year later, he joins one of the oldest teams in the NBA by average player age with the Kings, led by 16-year veteran DeMar DeRozan, 35, eight-year pro Malik Monk, 27, 11-year guard Zach LaVine, soon-to-be 30, and nine-year pro Domantas Sabonis, 28.

There are also respected vets such as 34-year-old Jae Crowder, who hasn’t played non-garbage minutes since early December yet whose impact is powerful even from the bench.

Then there are the so-called youngins such as Keegan Murray, Keon Ellis and his locker mate, Isaac Jones. To his other side is the locker of Monk, whom he was in the same draft class in 2017.

From being the veteran on a promising young team in Orlando to joining a team full of multi-time All-Stars and established talent in Sacramento, Fultz’s role with the Kings is different.

But is there any teammate in particular he was most excited to play alongside since joining Sacramento?

“All of them,” Fultz told NBC Sports California. “I’m super excited to play with Monk, never had a chance to play with him and we were in the same class. Zach. DeMar. Big fella. So for me, it’s a blessing to be able to play with this much talent on one roster. Especially with having this many vets.

“I really haven’t had a chance to play with that much talent as far as vets who have been established in the league. So I’m excited to learn from them but also bring my ability to be able to make it easier for them and hopefully them to be able to help me as well.”

That help should extend beyond the hardwood, too.

Fultz hasn’t exactly had the easiest NBA journey. But all he has to do is look to his right while sitting at his locker for the perfect source of inspiration. Monk survived his own obstacles that challenged the start of his NBA career to years later having the potential to be the face of the franchise in Sacramento.

While the adversity Monk and Fultz have faced is different, their outcomes could be similar.

And so far, Fultz is off to a promising start.

Fultz sat through the first half of Friday’s game patiently waiting for his number to be called but also trying to live in the moment and relish being fully suited back on an NBA bench.

Nearly 30 minutes of game action passed before Kings interim coach Doug Christie called a timeout, turned to his bench, made eye contact with Fultz and pointed to him at the 6:01 mark of the third quarter. The time had come.

An eager Fultz stepped foot onto the court to play his first NBA game in over 41 weeks. Less than two minutes in, he made his first bucket. Another 77 seconds passed before his next bucket, a driving layup, banked in. His first miss came 30 seconds later, but he made up for it massively with an emphatic monster dunk that gave Kings fans inside a Golden 1 Center taken over by Warriors fans something to finally get on their feet and cheer for.

Markelle making a statement in his debut pic.twitter.com/Nmj6puBpdL

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) February 22, 2025

The game had gotten away for the Kings at that point, falling 132-108 at home, but Fultz made the most of his opportunity. He finished with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in 10 minutes off the bench.

“We were in the same class so I know a lot about him,” Monk said after the game of Fultz. “He’s been fighting a lot of injuries. It’s crazy to see him come back and have an impact on the game like that right away. It’s been great.

“I feel like he’s a big, big key to what we’re going to do going forward.”

Fultz was the former No. 1 overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2017. He since has had a difficult time with injuries, first dealing with a strange shoulder injury that wiped away his 3-point shot before later tearing his ACL in January of 2021. He had his best season in 2022-23, when he averaged 14.0 points on 51.4 shooting with 3.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 29.6 minutes through a career-high 60 games (60 starts) with the Magic.

He’s played less than 20 games in four of his seven seasons, though, and his 3-point shot that helped him shine in college at Washington completely faded from his shot selection at the pro level. He shot 41.3 percent from beyond the arc on five attempts during his one season with the Huskies. In 236 NBA games, he’s shooting 27.6 percent from deep on just 1.2 attempts.

But behind the scenes, he’s been putting in the work, inserting those “daily deposits” to become the best new version of himself.

“Absolutely. That’s what’s been going on,” Fultz said. “A lot of people don’t realize that I didn’t change my form. I had an injury that was going on and I had to take time to heal and get my body to move the way it wants to move. So that’s what I spent that time doing, focusing on my body.”

In his second game with the Kings, a 130-88 rout of the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, Fultz contributed five points, three rebounds, one assist and three steals, and was a plus-12 in plus/minus rating in 18 minutes off the bench. He was 1 of 2 from beyond the arc, making his first 3-pointer since April 7, 2024. It was a 23-foot corner triple that hit nothing but net as the shot clock expired.

Markelle Fultz corner triple, his first since April 7, 2024 (vs CHI) pic.twitter.com/7qsETxKGaB

— The Magic Way (@MagicFilmRoom) February 25, 2025

Fultz is driven by his NBA detour and fueled by his family as a proud father of three, but at the end of the day, it’s just basketball to him.

He’s quickly adjusting to the Kings’ system, even surprising Sabonis, who referred to Fultz as a “very high IQ player” and joked that the point guard already knows the plays better than some of the guys who “have been here forever.” Christie, too, has been impressed with how easy the transition and communication have been with Fultz.

While the Kings signed Fultz to fill the void left by De’Aaron Fox as the point guard and primary ballhandler, Fultz offers so much more than that on the other end of the floor, too.

When Ellis exited Monday’s game and was ruled out of the second half with an ankle injury, Fultz got the early sub and played most of those minutes. He and new Kings forward Jake LaRavia took turns guarding LaMelo Ball, who scored just 13 minutes on 3-of-13 shooting and 1 of 7 from downtown and was a minus-32 in plus/minus rating through 29 minutes.

It’s a small sample size, but opponents have shot 11 times in two games when guarded by Fultz. They’ve only made two of those attempts (18.2 percent). As Sports Illustrated’s Will Zimmerle noted, the Kings have a 79.4 defensive rating in Fultz’s combined 28 minutes. The Oklahoma City Thunder have the best defensive rating with 105.0.

Discussing the type of impact he can have on this Kings team, especially defensively, excites Fultz.

“A lot, man,” Fultz said of his defensive impact. “I feel like the defensive effort, with my length and my energy, I think I’ll be able to pick up the ball, put a little bit of havoc on the ball and be able to switch where I can, I’m just trying to disrupt the ball handler in any way I can and be there for my teammates when I’m off the ball.”

Fultz was a low-risk, high-reward signing for Sacramento. The early returns have been encouraging, already displaying the effect he can have for a team that needs exactly what he brings to the table. On-ball defense, playmaking, ball-handling, intensity, effort. Check, check, check.

All those daily deposits paid off — literally — and he’ll continue to take every part of his journey day by day.

“Hell yeah. Ever since going through what I went through, my road, I’ve always focused on winning the day,” Fultz said. “That’s been one thing I try to focus on to be able to get 1 percent better every day. And I know if you put the work in, it’s going to show. So I want to make sure I do something every day to get a little bit better.”

As he reflects on the past 10 months of not playing basketball, the past seven years of playing basketball on and off, and from where he started as a young boy, he can’t but be emotional about the rollercoaster ride that led him to where he is today.

Once labeled a draft “bust” to years later having the opportunity to play a pivotal role on a playoff-hungry team, he’ll forever be grateful for the support.

“It’s love, man. That’s what I do it for,” Fultz said. “To be able to motivate people and also have guys and fans that support me through everything. At the end of the day, I know what I’m capable of and I just focus on me. But when you have people that support you through journeys like that it’s always good to see that. I just want to keep motivating people to never give up when you have something that you love. It’s adversity and all you got to do is work.”

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