Markelle Fultz Out Indefinitely with Shoulder Injury, Re-Evaluated in 3 Weeks

The Philadelphia 76ers could be dealing with another long-term injury to a rookie lottery pick with Markelle Fultz now out indefinitely.

Per Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times, the point guard was diagnosed with "soreness and scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder." He is set to be re-evaluated in three weeks.

Fultz was initially ruled out for just three games as of Wednesday, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Two games later, it appears the shoulder issue is more serious than the team initially let on.

The first overall pick of the 2017 draft has appeared in just four games this season. He is averaging 6.0 points and 1.8 assists in 19 minutes per game.

The biggest concern to this point has been his altered shooting stroke, which has led to just a 33.3 field-goal percentage to go with 50 percent from the free-throw line. He hasn't even attempted a three-point shot in his brief NBA career.

As Jack Maloney of CBS Sports detailed, there has been debate about whether his changed shooting form contributed to his shoulder injury or the other way around. Regardless of the cause, it appears as though the issue is a significant concern.

If he is forced to miss an extended period of time, it would continue an unwelcome trend for recent 76ers draft picks. Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel each missed their entire rookie seasons after being taken early in the first round over the past few years.