Sixers: 5 most promising players under 25

Sixers’ five most promising players under 25 — 3. Furkan Korkmaz

Korkmaz and Shake were neck-and-neck in my mind while putting this list together, and long-term, I think they project to have roughly equal upside. However, Korkmaz got the nod for two reasons: he plays at a position more challenging to find talented players at, and his larger frame gives him more defensive upside.

Furkan has undergone quite the tumultuous journey as a Philadelphia 76er. He’s progressed from the guy losing minutes to Timothee Luwawu-Cabarrot and requesting a trade to the longest-tenured Sixer not named Joel Embiid.

Offensively, the shooting has never been a question. Korkmaz is probably the team’s most useful off-movement shooter — while Seth Curry has him beat in terms of shooting ability, Kork’s size makes him more difficult to chase around, and he still finished in the 78th percentile in spot-up points per possession last season — and has developed as a slasher and finisher more and more every season. And the Turkish dunk contest champion is always due for a few “he can do that?” highlight throwdowns.

On defense, Furkan is usually fighting an uphill battle because he isn’t fleet of foot enough to keep up with most opposing guards, and until last season bigger wings could have their way with him near the basket. However, he clearly focused on bulking up over the offseason and looked surprisingly good in isolation defense.

Furkan is as close to a finished product as a player under 25 can be. It’s clear that he knows his role, and he fills it well. The Sixers signed him to a well-deserved three-year, $15 million extension this offseason, and though the upgrades Korkmaz can make as a player are mostly around the margins, he’ll be a valuable rotation piece for the Sixers as long as he’s on the team.