Sixers guard Furkan Korkmaz has requested to be traded before Thursday’s deadline, sources say
This season Korkmaz has played in only 25 games and produced the lowest averages in scoring and minutes since his rookie year.
Furkan Korkmaz wants to move on from the 76ers.
Sources have said the Turkish player has requested to be traded before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. Asked about it, Korkmaz would only say that he “would not confirm nor deny it.”
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey didn’t immediately respond to a text message inquiring if Korkmaz asked to be traded. But sources have said Korkmaz was informed that Morey will try to package him in a deal.
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The sixth-year veteran wanting to be moved isn’t a surprise.
The shooting guard has appeared in only three of the Sixers’ last 12 games, averaging just 2.0 points and 2 minutes in those games. And he talked to The Inquirer about his fate last month amid reports that the Sixers were looking to move him in hopes of shedding luxury-tax dollars.
“For me, the best thing that I can say is I want to be happy, you know?” he said last month. “I want to be on the court. And whatever they think is working with the team, that’s fine with me.”
With Korkmaz out of the rotation, it’s obvious the Sixers (34-18) don’t view him as someone who can help them.
But this isn’t the first time that Korkmaz requested to be traded because of a lack of playing time. He also asked to be moved during the 2018-19 season. At that time, the Sixers declined to exercise his $2.03 million third-year option before the Oct. 31, 2018, deadline. But after receiving more playing time, he signed a two-year deal with the team on July 26, 2019.
Now, he’s in the second year of the three-year, $15 million contract he signed on Aug. 9, 2021. He’s making $5 million this season and is in line to make $5.37 million next season.
But Korkmaz has played in only 25 games this season and produced the lowest averages in scoring (3.8) and minutes (10.2) since his rookie season.
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The 25-year-old is behind wings Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle, and Danuel House Jr. on the depth chart.
The Sixers drafted Korkmaz with the 26th pick in 2016. He remained overseas for one season to play for Anadolu Efes in his homeland of Turkey. He joined the Sixers during the 2017-18 season after the team bought out his Turkish contract.