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Sixers’ Markelle Fultz ‘can’t wait’ for season to start; Joel Embiid is a sneaker ‘free agent’

A new sneaker deal could be on the horizon for Joel Embiid.

Markelle Fultz is looking forward to the start of the NBA season.
Markelle Fultz is looking forward to the start of the NBA season.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

Markelle Fultz exudes confidence when speaking to the media.

The 76ers point guard doesn't sound like someone still trying to get his jump shot back to where it enabled him to be the NBA draft's first overall pick in 2017.

On Sunday, he described the first two days of training camp as amazing. The 20-year-old spoke of the offseason work put in with shooting coach Drew Hanlen in Los Angeles. And Fultz said he's excited to be back in Philly around teammates.

"To be able to know that I prepared very well for this season, I can't wait to get it started," Fultz said. "So every day I have been coming here, I've been happy."

Fultz played in only 17 games — regular-season and playoffs — last season. He played in the first four regular-season games before being sidelined for the next 68 with what the team called a right-shoulder injury. However, sources said that he actually had the "yips" that his outside shooting. Fultz denied that on Friday.

On Sunday, he attempted one shot during the portion of the end-of-practice scrimmage the media witnessed. Operating a pick-and-roll with center Joel Embiid, Fultz drove the lane and attempted a jumper from about two feet in front of the foul line. The ball hit the front of the rim, bounced up and hit the back of the rim four times before dropping in.

The media didn't see any portion of Saturday's scrimmage. But he did take two shots on a far rim during a postseason shooting session while the media came into the gym. Moments later, Fultz resumed his shooting drills on a basket in the workout area out of the view of the media.

Fultz didn't want to talk about the modifications he made to his shot in the offseason.

"I just had to figure out what worked for me," he said. "There was a lot of trial-and-error stuff. I found out what clicked.

"I'm happy with it, and I'm just going to keep working every day to get better."

Fultz said his shot is getting better each day.

Under Armour deal on the horizon for Embiid?

Joel Embiid has been wearing Under Armour sneakers the past three days. This comes after having worn adidas since being drafted in 2014.

"My contract with adidas officially ends up on the 30th," Embiid said. "Just trying new shoes. I'm a free agent. So I'm just a trying new shoes, but there's contract negotiations and we're pretty close."

No matter what Embiid wears, Sixers coach Brett Brown thinks he's going to be dominant this season. He knows why his coach feels that way.

"Being an inside presence and more around the rim, physicality," Embiid said. "This year I worked on my body and am in much better shape. All of that is going to add up."