Let’s be honest, last season is arguably the worse that Furkan Korkmaz has ever had. It got to a point where he was benched after being a part of the rotations for the last several seasons. The Philadelphia 76ers appeared to have moved on from the sharpshooter who shot a career-worst 28.9 percent from the 3-point line.
The bad thing for Korkmaz is that it appears the front office has moved on from him instead of giving him another shot. The additions of P.J. Tucker, De’Anthony Melton, and Danuel House Jr. makes Korkmaz expendable. That doesn’t include the expected jump by Isaiah Joe as well.
With that in mind, the Sixers should consider trading the wing player from Turkey. It would be the end of an area considering that he’s the longest-tenured player on the roster outside of Embiid. However, there are three potential trades that the franchise should consider.
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3 potential Korkmaz trades in 2022: Kings backup center
For the first time in a long time, the Philadelphia 76ers don’t have a veteran backup center behind Joel Embiid. They only have Paul Reed and Charles Bassey who have a combined three years of NBA experience.
The Sixers need to sure up the backup center depth behind Embidi and trading for one using Korkmaz’s contract seems like an ideal path for the front office. With that in mind, the Sacramento Kings have a veteran who can help Philly.
It’s hard to believe that Alex Len has already has nine years of NBA experience, but he does and despite flaming out as a lottery pick, Len can provide solid backup center minutes. Last season, he averaged 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Len’s a solid backup, but he’s not worth Korkmaz alone, that’s why the 2023 second round pick via the Indiana Pacers was sent in this hypothetical deal. The Kings need shorters around De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis so Korkmaz gets a fresh start on a team that needs his skills.
3 potential Korkmaz trades in 2022: Rockets backup point guard
Outside of James Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers don’t have veteran depth at the backup point guard role. The combination of Shake Milton and De’Anthony Melton should be good enough, but having just one more guy who can create offense for himself and others off the bench would be nice for Philly.
With the trade that sent former 76ers big man Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets to the Dallas Mavericks, the Rockets have an overabundance of players as a result. Including extra guard depth, which should help the Sixers make a deal to move Korkmaz.
Yes, this fake trade would bring Trey Burke back to the 76ers. I was a big fan of Burke when he came to Philly when Brett Brown was the head coach. Burke’s tenure was less than impressive but that had to do with how Brown used him and not his production.
He’d be an ideal guard next to Harden as he’s a spark plug scorer. Getting a 2024 second round pick via Brooklyn is an added bonus in this trade as well. The Rockets are a young rebuilding team and Korkmaz does fit their timeline as he’s only 25 years old.
3 potential Korkmaz trades in 2022: Knicks wing
I was tempted to have Boban Marjonovic in this last spot, but there’s a better trade out there for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers added quality wing depth already, but in today’s NBA there’s never a thing as too much wing depth.
The 76ers have the ability to upgrade it over Korkmaz they should. That’s where the New York Knicks come in. Let’s be clear, with Donovan Mitchell still on the market, it’s unlikely that the Knicks are open to making other deals. However, if they are, the hypothetical trade below works for both clubs.
The Knicks add another floor spacer and if one coach can get Korkmaz to improve defensively, it has to be Tom Thibodeau. They also get a nice young talent in Jaden Springer too. If they decide to make a trade later, both are trade-able players, especially if Korkmaz has a bounce-back season in New York.
The Sixers get a raw prospect with a high-ceiling in Cam Reddish. Reddish has legit two-way potential and on a veteran team like Philly, he can develop properly. He could be a long-term solution at the small forward position for the club moving forward.
These trades help the Philadelphia 76ers move on from Korkmaz as it appears as if he needs a fresh start somewhere new. Comment below if you have any trades of your own.