Getty President of basketball operations Daryl Morey
In his trade deadline preview for every NBA team, Bobby Marks proposed a trade for every single team. When he previewed the Philadelphia 76ers, Mark proposed a trade that would reunite the Sixers with a familiar face.
“Furkan Korkmaz, 2029 second and cash considerations to Houston for Boban Marjanovic. The trade would put the 76ers below the luxury tax threshold,” Marks proposed.
Marjanovic was originally traded to the Sixers at the trade deadline in 2019 when the team acquired Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers. Marjanovic played 22 games where he averaged 8.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks while shooting 62.5 percent from the field.
His time with the team did not go past his brief stint in the 2018-19 season, as he has since gone on to play for the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets over the last four seasons. Marjanovic has sparsely appeared for the Rockets this season, having played only 15 games and playing only four minutes a game.
As Marks said, the trade he proposes would be primarily to get under the luxury tax, which, according to Marc Stein, is what the Sixers want to do.
“There is a rising expectation that Philadelphia will look to move either Jaden Springer or Furkan Korkmaz before the Feb. 9 trade deadline in hopes of shedding luxury-tax dollars,” Stein said on his Substack.
Korkmaz’s Thoughts on Being Included in Trade Rumors
In an interview with Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Korkmaz talked about what it’s like to be involved in trade rumors, saying that being mentioned in possible deals does not bother him and that what he wants more than anything is to play.
“I just let those guys handle it — my agent, my organization-wise,” Korkmaz told Pompey. “Right now, I don’t think it’s going to make a lot of sense for me to say anything about it because it’s not in my hands at some point.
“For me, the best thing that I can say is I want to be happy, you know? I want to be on the court. And whatever they think is working with the team, that’s fine with me.”
Korkmaz has not been featured in the Sixers’ rotation nearly as much as he has in the past, having appeared in only 24 games this season, putting up four points while shooting 41 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three in 10.5 minutes a game.
Insider Explains Sixers’ Tax Situation
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports speculated that the Sixers might trade players like Korkmaz, Springer, and Matisse Thybulle in the hopes of shedding luxury tax while delving into why that might be the Sixers’ goal at the deadline.
“There is also a financial aspect that may underscore the Sixers’ trade deadline efforts if the right upgrades don’t materialize,” Fischer said. “This season currently marks Philadelphia’s third straight year as a taxpayer, which would subject the Sixers to pay repeater tax rates on every dollar over the 2023-24 tax threshold. The Sixers are hovering just above this year’s tax line at present, which could put players like Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, and Jaden Springer in the trade conversation.”