The Sixers are expected to pursue avenues toward improvement at the trade deadline. But, looming over any potential move is the tax threshold. Now in their third season over the tax (and just narrowly so), Sixers management could look to shed extra salary if there’s no obvious game-changing acquisition on the horizon.
One potential name who could become involved in trade talks, according to Yahoo’s Jake Fischer, is Furkan Korkmaz. Making $5 million in the second year of his three-year contract, Korkmaz is firmly out of the rotation. The Sixers wouldn’t be completely unjustified in looking to cut ties, even if I’m naturally dubious of self-proclaimed contenders making moves for the sake of saving money.
Here are some realistic Korkmaz trade frameworks.
Potential Sixers-Thunder Furkan Korkmaz trade
Here lies the simple salary dump. The Sixers get $5 million off the books this season and next season, while the Thunder get a young floor spacer to accentuate their young core and a second-round pick to incentivize the acquisition. It’s possible that OKC could be the team sending Philly a second-round pick, but I’m hesitant to overstate Korkmaz’s value. The second year of his contract probably isn’t viewed as a bonus by prospective trade partners, but on the other hand, Korkmaz is still a 25-year-old sharpshooter who has flashed real offensive potential at the NBA level.
OKC needs more play finishers to complement the shot creation nucleus of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams. Korkmaz doesn’t need the ball in his hands to influence the game, even if the brief stints of “Point Kork” we’ve been treated to in Philadelphia have been mostly inoffensive — maybe even mildly exhilarating. The Sixers would subsequently have two open roster spots and fewer tax dollars for ownership to pay (not that ownership can’t afford extra tax dollars in pursuit of a championship).
Depth has eluded the Sixers in years past, and while this is certainly the deepest team of the Joel Embiid era, that’s not saying much. One or two pesky injuries, and Korkmaz suddenly has real importance to the Sixers. So I would be hesitant to dump him for nothing without a more affordable stopgap waiting in the wings.