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Philadelphia 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz has been sizzling this summer in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria, Canada. He scored a game-high 20 points in back-to-back contests for the upstart Turkish National Team after catching fire from deep.
Turkey beat Uruguay 95-86 in their first contest, then defeated the Czech Republic 87-70 to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Greece. Don’t blame Korkmaz in the elimination game, though. The 23-year-old streak shooter averaged 16 points per game in three qualifiers while knocking down four three-pointers against Greece. He was arguably the best player on the court for Turkey for large spurts.
The Sixers need to make a tough decision on what to do about Korkmaz in the coming weeks. The Turkish standout is a free agent with a silky smooth jumper, plus he logged valuable playoff minutes as a starter in place of Danny Green in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He’ll have his share of suitors on the open market.
But the Sixers do own his Bird rights and could match any offer, assuming they want him back next season. It may come down to whether Korkmaz prefers to cash in and sign with a lesser team where he might have a bigger role (read: more minutes). Or return to Philadelphia – a place he referred to as “my home” – and resume his reliable bench role.
“I’ve been here for four years. I look at Philly as my home,” Korkmaz told reporters on April 30. “But the season isn’t over, and there are the playoffs. I’m going to experience free agency. Of course, I want to stay in Philly.”
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Seth Curry Shows Range in Lake Tahoe
Seth Curry is a player slated to be back in Philly next season. He’s under contract for two more years following last year’s trade that brought the three-point specialist over from the Dallas Mavericks. Curry was a breakout star in the Sixers’ playoff run and showed off his skills the other day at the Travis Mathew celebrity golf takeover in Lake Tahoe.
Curry was in Nevada with his brother, Steph, and dad, Dell, to compete in the tournament. Travis Mathew sells high-end golf fashion apparel and served as an official sponsor for Capital One’s The Match: Champions of Change.
Decision on Danny Green Looming Large
Another key player to monitor in free agency is Danny Green. The three-time champion told reporters he wanted to relax after the playoffs ended and think about his future, although Green did reveal that Doc Rivers told him he’d be back. The Sixers clearly appreciated his veteran leadership and clutch three-point shooting.
“I talked to Doc and my first initial reaction was a helluva year, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” Green said. “He goes, ‘You’ll be back. You ain’t going no (expletive) where.’ So that’s a good sign that they want me back.”
As always, it will come down to the price tag. Green earned $15.3 million in 2021 and there has been no indication that he might be willing to give Philly a hometown discount.
