It’s been a season of lows so far for Philadelphia 76ers sharpshooter Furkan Korkmaz. Just about every statistical category is down — minutes, volume, points — evidence of the Turkish veteran’s diminished role in Doc Rivers’ rotation.
But at $5 million, Korkmaz is quickly becoming an expensive bench ornament. And for a team that’s perilously close to getting under the luxury tax threshold, Philadelphia could look at Korkmaz’s salary as a way to save some money and, by extension, open up a roster spot.
If the Sixers’ brain trust does indeed go in that direction, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report cooked up just the trade. Here’s how Favale’s deal would go down:
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Indiana’s 2023 second-round pick (protected for selections Nos. 31-55)
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Furkan Korkmaz, 2023 second-round pick (most favorable from Atlanta, Brooklyn or Charlotte)
Hmm, not the splashy blockbuster you were hoping for? Think of it as just the first domino in a chain reaction, as Favale explained.
“Offloading Korkmaz dredges up a second roster spot and puts the Sixers more than $3.8 million under the tax line, enabling them to be more aggressive as the buyout market develops.”
This necessarily begs the question: who could the Sixers target in the buyout market?
Forecasting Philadelphia’s Buyout Market
As it stands, it’s difficult to predict who will hit the buyout market with trade season still just beginning to bloom. For instance, Russell Westbrook was rumored to be a buyout candidate for the Miami Heat just one month ago if he was offloaded to a tanking team.
Now, with Westbrook having embraced a role off the bench, his prospects appear at least slightly lesser that he’ll be on the buyout market.
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Could Terrence Ross be a viable candidate? Depends on his trade prospects. He’s a solid player, but languishing on an Orlando Magic team that’s still one season away from competing. In a postseason that usually calls for wing depth, adding Ross to the mix for Philadelphia could help in a bind.
Come February, there will be a slew of players disgruntled that they were a) not traded or b) traded to a Wembanyama-lottery-bound team. With an open roster spot and just enough of cap space to bring in a minor addition for a postseason push, the Sixers might be well equipped to take advantage.
Could Tobias Harris be Moved?
But let’s say Philadelphia does want to get splashy. The best the Sixers could do would be to use Tobias Harris‘ massive salary to move the needle on a deal. And as Favale noted, the Sixers could (but shouldn’t) sweeten the pot by dangling Tyrese Maxey.
“[The Sixers] can enter some mega-trade scenarios if (the injured) Tyrese Maxey is on the table and attached to Tobias Harris (playing well!), but defaulting to the nuclear route makes little sense in the current landscape.”
But just because the Sixers might be closed for business doesn’t mean the rest of the league isn’t asking anyway. According to Ian Begley of SNY, the New York Knicks poked around a deal for Harris prior to the Knicks’ solid run in December.
A few notes on NYK’s Christmas Day loss, taking stock two months into the season & club’s previous consideration on PHI’s Tobias Harris here:
With Harris shooting the lights out of the ball lately, it’s hard to imagine the team moving on from him unless the right player comes back in return. In a strange turn, Harris might have actually turned himself into a viable asset with his shooting such that getting off his contract isn’t priority number one for the Sixers.
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Sixers Swap Furkan Korkmaz for ‘Aggressive’ Playoff Addition in Proposed Trade