Furkan Korkmaz's Sixers Contract Became Guaranteed Thursday
The Philadelphia 76ers have veteran guard/forward Furkan Korkmaz on the books for the 2020-2021 NBA season.
Before Thursday, Korkmaz's contract wasn't fully guaranteed, which could've allowed the Sixers to move on without having to pick up his tab for next season.
But it seems the Turkish sharpshooter isn't going anywhere. On Thursday, Korkmaz's second season on his current contract, which is worth $1.7 million, became fully guaranteed, according to Yahoo Sports' Keith Smith.
The 23-year-old former first-round pick will now earn the full $3.3 million of his two-year contract, which he signed with the Sixers last summer.
After wrapping up his second season with the Sixers in 2019, Korkmaz was unsure of his future in the NBA. As he struggled to see the court consistently with the Sixers during his first two seasons, Korkmaz requested a trade, which was never granted.
In addition to refusing to trade the young guard/forward, the 76ers didn't pick up Korkmaz's option, which would've cost them $2.03 million last season. Following the 2018-2019 run, Korkmaz drew little attention on the free agency market.
At a point during the 2019 offseason, rumors began flying that Korkmaz was going to remain in Turkey and avoid returning to the NBA. However, the Sixers shockingly offered Korkmaz a two-year deal, which he agreed to despite being frustrated with the organization throughout his first two years in the NBA.
Year three was a different story for Korkmaz. The young veteran earned a consistent role in the Sixers' rotation and averaged nearly ten points-per-game while shooting a career-high of 40-percent from beyond the arc.
Seeing as though he was one of the Sixers' most improved and consistent players in 2019-2020, it doesn't come as a shock that the new front office and coaching staff wants to keep him on board and see what he has to offer in year four.
Whether Korkmaz will keep his consistent role with the team's revamped roster or not is unclear -- but based on what he did last season, he'll surely earn a shot to be a primary contributor off the bench for the 76ers next year.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
