Furkan Korkmaz Hopes to Remain With Sixers as Free Agency Approaches
The Philadelphia 76ers are going to have a lot of decisions to make this offseason. While most of the core is locked up for the future, the same cannot be said for some of the supporting cast.
One player set to hit the market this year is Furkan Korkmaz. The 23-year-old has spent the past four seasons in Philadelphia after being drafted 26th overall in 2016.
After shootaround on Friday, Korkmaz would discuss his looming free agency. Saying that he's hoping to remain with the Sixers moving forward.
“I’ve been here for four years. I look at Philly as my home. But the season isn’t over, and there are the playoffs. I’m going to experience free agency. Of course, I want to stay in Philly,” said Korkmaz.
During his time with the Sixers, Korkmaz has shown some growth in his game. Most notably this season, where he has shown improvement as a ballhandler.
Over the last two years, he has shown that he is capable of being an everyday rotation player for an NBA team. This season, Korkmaz is averaging 9.6 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.4 APG while playing just under 20 minutes per game.
Korkmaz's biggest impact on the game is his outside shooting. Last season he led the Sixers in three-pointers made while shooting 40.2% from beyond. So far this season, he currently sits at 39.0% on five attempts per game.
Keeping Korkmaz around for the future could be a nice move for the Sixers. He is still young and continues to improve his game. The challenge is going to be retaining him at the right price.
With the growing emphasis on perimeter shooting, a team could give a young shooter like Korkmaz a decent-sized contract in free agency.
Seeing a young player walk after years of growth is never fun. But if Korkmaz doesn't return on a close to a team-friendly deal, the Sixers might be better off looking at other options.
Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.
