The Sixer Sense
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Ranking every player on the Sixers’ 2021-22 roster

By Christopher Kline

Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Sixers Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Sixers Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ranking every player on the Sixers roster — 9. Furkan Korkmaz

From Ben Wieland: 

Has any recent Sixer’s path to the current roster been more chaotic than that of Furkan Korkmaz? Behind just Joel Embiid, the 6-foot-7 forward is tied with Ben Simmons for the second-longest-tenured Sixer on the team. Entering his fifth season with the team, Korkmaz has already made a trade request, had his rookie third-year option declined, threatened to leave to play in Turkey, received a second two-year contract, and finally inked a three-year, $15 million deal.

For experiencing such a tumultuous career to this point, Korkmaz’s development has been surprisingly linear: every season, he just seems to get a little bit better. When he was drafted 26th overall, most experts had the European teenager pegged as little more than a spot-up shooter. However, throughout his time in Philadelphia, Korkmaz has experimented with drives and floaters, bulked up defensively, and thrown down some memorable dunks.

Korkmaz also has his fair share of career highlights, most notably his game-winning three-pointer two seasons ago against the Portland Trail Blazers. Regular-season junkies will also remember Furk’s absurd career-high 34 points against Memphis, which he immediately followed up by scoring 31 against Chicago in the very next game.

This season, Korkmaz will be valuable to the team as a rotation wing who can play shooting guard in big lineups if necessary. He’ll most likely trade off with Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle and, especially if the team opts to rest the 12-year vet Green occasionally to keep his legs fresh for the postseason, Korkmaz should see heavy minutes and spot starts at times throughout the year.

His spot in the rotation isn’t totally solidified — last year’s second-round pick Isaiah Joe has looked good in preseason and could be on Korkmaz’s heels for playing time if he keeps it up — but entering 2021-22 on a fresh three-year contract, Korkmaz has long-term stability for the first time since his arrival in Philadelphia. Hopefully the team isn’t too reliant on Furkan throughout the season, but in a limited role, the sharpshooter is a valuable player.