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The Philadelphia 76ers look to have made their first big move during the opening salvo of NBA free agency on Monday. According to a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the team has come to terms on a deal with unrestricted free agent and Sixers veteran Furkan Korkmaz.
Per Woj, Korkmaz will be coming back to Philly on a three-year, $15 million deal. As they owned the 24-year-old’s full Bird rights, the Sixers will still have use of the taxpayer mid-level exception.
While the lion’s share of Sixers-centric chatter has been centered on Ben Simmons’ future with the franchise, team president Daryl Morey definitely has other matters to contend with this offseason. In particular, he needs to put his best foot forward in surrounding Joel Embiid and the rest of the Sixers’ core with a supporting cast worthy of a title-contending squad.
By bringing Korkmaz back into the fold, he has helped preserve some depth on the wing. However, there is still work left to do.
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Korkmaz Has Developed Into a Solid Second-Unit Wing
After entering the Association as a former first-round pick in 2017, Korkmaz struggled to lock down a spot in Philly’s rotation. During his rookie season, he spent a significant amount of time on assignment with the Sixers’ developmental affiliate. And he racked up the DNP-CDs even when he was on the main roster.
Considering his past as a 40% three-point shooter and dunk contest winner in the Turkish League, Korkmaz’s inability to produce a year-one pop was a point of contention with fans. After getting off to a rocky start, though, he eventually found his footing and showed he could play at the NBA level.
During the 2018-19 campaign, he became a 14-minute per night player. It was during his third year in 2019-20, however, that he really elevated his game. Over 72 games played in the pandemic-shortened campaign, he put up 9.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest while making 40.2% of his triples.
Although his numbers dipped slightly last season, he continued to be an important bench player for Philly. In 2020-21, Korkmaz scored 9.1 points per game and was still a 37.5% shooter from deep. He also filled in nicely as a spot starter when necessary, logging a 13-3-2 line and boasting a net rating of 8.2 in those games.
Given his production and relatively young age — he may still have more development in him — the Sixers got Korkmaz back for a good price.
Lowry Officially off the Table
Kyle Lowry may be a North Philly native, and he was heavily linked to the Sixers at last season’s trade deadline but his time as a Sixers target is officially over. On Monday, the six-time NBA All-Star update his social media accounts with an image indicating he was joining the Miami Heat.
Shortly thereafter, it was reported by Woj that the floor general was headed to South Beach on a three-year pact worth something in the area of $90 million.
Lowry averaged 17.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game last season with the Toronto Raptors. He’ll turn 36 next season.
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