Getty Sixers wings Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz have been the subject of trade rumors this offseason.
It was a frustrating tale of two seasons for Furkan Korkmaz. The veteran wing from Turkey went from the first player off the Philadelphia 76ers bench to an afterthought down the stretch and in the postseason.
Korkmaz isn’t one to make excuses, but he did find it hard to get into a good rhythm when his minutes started to decrease. And the 24-year-old sharpshooter expressed major disappointment over the way the 2021-22 season played out. Korkmaz wasn’t complaining about his role, instead he was challenging himself to improve. Which he intends to do this summer.
“I know for myself I can do much more than I showed until now,” Korkmaz said at Sixers’ exit interviews on May 13. “I think I just need to stay focused – because it’s not easy as a player when you have a tough season – and then come back stronger next year. A lot of players going through some bad situations but, for me, I cannot call it a bad situation. I just had like a rough season, a lot of ups and downs.”
The trade for James Harden certainly changed Korkmaz’s fit on the court. He went from being the backup point guard over the first two months to a spot-up shooter expected to come in and pull the trigger. Korkmaz couldn’t master the switch, leading to him shooting a career-worst 28.9% from three-point land.
“It’s not easy,” Korkmaz said. “I mean, you look at the beginning of the season, I was the sixth guy of the team coming off the bench, being the leading scoring off the bench, creating, especially the first two or three months of the season. I was playing point guard. Which I had the ball more.
“And then in the second half of the season becoming more of a spot-up shooter. It’s a different change, a different role, adaptation. But as a player you have to adapt to what the team is asking you to do. When you see shots not going in, the game is more hard for you.”
The latest Sixers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Sixers newsletter here!
Korkmaz Could Be Odd Man Out, Possible Trade Bait
When Korkmaz inked a three-year, $15 million contract extension last year, it was viewed as a bargain deal for a rising star shooter. He shot 37.5% from beyond the arc the previous season, coming off a scorching hot 2021-22 campaign where he shot 40.2%.
Korkmaz’s arrow was trending way up as some dreamed of another J.J. Redick. While that lofty trajectory stalled a bit this season, the young wing player knows why. And how to fix it.
“Shots was not going in. It was sometimes mental, sometimes physical,” Korkmaz said. “But I know the problem. I don’t need to say it right now, but I know where is the problem and where is the answer to [fixing] it so it’s not going to be hard for me to find it, and then keep getting better.”
Furkan Korkmaz’s stretch from 11/09 to 12/09:
15 games
21.1 MPG
5.5 PPG
27.7% FG
18.5% 3PT
69.2% FT
-3.3 in +/-
Love Furk, but this is his worst shooting stretch of his entire career. It’s time to give Isaiah Joe an opportunity.
The Sixers remain high on Korkmaz and his potential. Remember, they used the 26th overall pick on him back in 2016 on the three-time Turkish League All-Star. That hasn’t stopped his name from headlining seemingly every trade rumor involving Philadelphia. Korkmaz and Matisse Thybulle are arguably the team’s two biggest trade pieces. Excluding the untouchable Tyrese Maxey. Korkmaz is aware of his future, although not worried about.
“I’m not the GM. I’m not the head coach. You know, there are some decisions that you cannot control,” Korkmaz said. “But, for me, like I said, I have two more years on my contract and then I know which ways I can help this team from different ways, not just from scoring. Creating, playmaking, and then just to be a solid role on defense.
“I’m one of those guys that wants to play every day, every minute. I don’t want to get to the bench but this season I was in the rotation a lot, I was out of the rotation a lot so it’s been a rough year. But at the end of the day, I just want to be on the court, that’s my goal.”
Philly’s contract situation going forward
Harden: 1 year, $47.4M (player option)
Harris: 2 years, $76.9M
Embiid: 5 years, $229.5M
Korkmaz: 2 years, $10.4M
Thybulle: 1 year, $4.4M
Niang: 1 year, $3.5M
Maxey: 2 years, $7M
Springer: 3 years, $8.3M
Milton: 1 year, $2M (team option)
Joel Embiid’s Maturity Continues to Impress Teammates
Korkmaz cracked a smile when discussing his first year playing with Joel Embiid. The All-Star center was drafted in 2014 but didn’t make his NBA debut until 2016 which was Korkmaz’s rookie year. The Turkish star has seen a drastic change in Embiid’s personality over those six years.
“First when I met him he was just like a crazy guy,” Korkmaz said of Embiid. “You know, walking around making jokes. Right now you can see he’s more mature, more adult. He has a kid to take care of. He has more going on than basketball in his life right now, and that’s why I’m so happy to see that grow, that Joel does.”
Embiid sends Korkmaz to the far side corner.
Screens…Rolls…Finds em on the move in the corner 🪙