NBA Rumors: Sixers Will Attempt to Package Furkan Korkmaz Trade

Furkan Korkmaz’s reported interest in desiring a trade is far from surprising. After appearing in over 50 games in each of the last two seasons, Korkmaz has played in just 25 of 52 games this year for the Philadelphia 76ers.

But in case anybody was curious about what’s going through the Turkish sharpshooter’s mind, the veteran made it clear that he wants to play, according to Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.

“I’ll just be happy to be on the court. That’s all I can say because I wanna be on the court. I am looking forward to seeing what’s gonna happen. … There is no straight answer to this question, but at the end of the day, I want to be on the court,” he finished. “You are getting the message.”

One day later, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Korkmaz formally requested a trade. How was it received by the organization? Daryl Morey is reportedly trying to “package Korkmaz in a deal,” according to Pompey.

This isn’t the first time Korkmaz requested to be traded by the Sixers. During the 2018-2019 season, Korkmaz requested a trade from the organization. That season, he appeared in 48 games, averaging 14 minutes on the court.

Although Korkmaz’s time in Philly looked to be short-lived after his frustrating start, he re-signed with the Sixers during the summer of 2019 on a two-year contract. Once again, Korkmaz tested the free agency market in 2021. Several teams had interest, but a three-year contract offer from Philadelphia convinced Korkmaz to return.

While Korkmaz called Philly home for the last five seasons and remains on the roster in year six, his second trade request from the team signals that the end is likely near for the partnership. This year, Korkmaz has appeared in 25 games. He’s averaging 10 minutes on the floor, his lowest since 2017-2018 when he was a rookie that appeared in 14 games.

Korkmaz likely won’t draw interest as a lone piece in a trade, but the Sixers seem to be open to doing what they can to ensure that if a trade goes down in the coming days, Korkmaz is involved.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.