In the 2016 NBA Draft, Turkish shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz succeeded to find his way into the NBA after being selected as the No. 26 overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. However, in his rookie season, Korkmaz only played 15 games and spent most of his time with the Sixers’ NBA G League affiliate, Delaware 87ers.
This offseason, Furkan Korkmaz worked hard to develop his overall game with the hope that the Sixers could give him the opportunity to prove himself in the league. In the 2018 NBA Summer League, Korkmaz established an impressive performance after posting 40 points, including eight 3-pointers in just 26 minutes of action in their game against the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, nothing has changed with his role in his second season in NBA.
To make things more complicated for the 21-year-old shooting guard, his future with the Sixers is currently in limbo. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer , the Sixers are yet to make a decision whether they are going to exercise the $2.03 million third-year team option on Korkmaz or not. Declining his team option will enable Korkmaz to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. If the Sixers don’t have any intention of giving him playing time, Pompey revealed that Korkmaz is hoping to be moved before the February NBA trade deadline.
“A league source said Monday the Sixers hadn’t decided if they’re going to exercise the $2.03 million third-year team option on his contract. The team likes Korkmaz’s scoring ability but is unsure about retaining him. It might try to trade him. A source said Korkmaz wants to be traded over lack of playing time.”
The #Suns should go after Furkan Korkmaz #TimeToRise https://t.co/AyAlQzhynv
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) October 31, 2018
Furkan Korkmaz did not confirm nor deny the rumors that he already wants his way out of the City of Brotherly Love. Before making any statement, Korkmaz first wants to know the Sixers’ decision regarding his team option. However, the Turkish shooting guard made it clear that he really wants to play.
“First of all, I want to see what the team is going to say to me,” Korkmaz said. “I’m waiting for them to tell me, ‘We are going to pick up your option’ [or] ‘We are not going to pick up your option.’ Then I want to think about it.”
If the Sixers decide to decline the team option on Furkan Korkmaz, it is highly likely that they will make him available on the trade market where they could at least receive a future draft pick in return. Korkmaz will surely receive plenty of interest from rebuilding teams who need backcourt depth or a younger swingman.