Sixers Player Profile: Furkan Korkmaz

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be profiling every player currently on the Sixers’ roster ahead of training camp, which begins on September 28.

Furkan Korkmaz

Age: 24 (turns 25 in July)

Contract status: Furkan is entering the first year of the three-year, $15 million contract he signed with the Sixers this offseason.

Background info: The Sixers drafted Furkan 26th overall in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft out of Anadolu Efes in Turkey. After barely playing for the Sixers during his rookie year (he appeared in only 14 games), Korkmaz got on the court a bit more during his sophomore campaign. On the year, he appeared in 48 games (starting seven), playing 14 minutes per game. Still, this modest uptick in playing time wasn’t enough for a young and eager Korkmaz, who went public with a trade request in November of 2018. No trade materialized for the Sixers, and Korkmaz remained with the team — even playing a handful of minutes in the Sixers’ two playoff series versus Brooklyn and Toronto, respectively.

It was in the 2019-2020 season when Korkmaz achieved a more substantial role with the Sixers, as he appeared in all but one of the team’s 73 regular-season games, playing a nightly average of 21.7 minutes. What he brought to the rotation was a quick and aggressive trigger from three-point range. On a big, clunky roster that desperately needed long-range shooting, Korkmaz’s 4.9 three point attempts per game (and 40 percent success rate) was a welcome sight that helped to cement his place in the rotation.

Last season, Korkmaz remained in the rotation despite battling an ankle sprain during the year. He appeared in 55 games (starting 11), playing nearly 20 minutes per game. He started the season rather cold from beyond the arc, en route to .401/.375/.732 shooting splits. Despite a slight regression in his three-point percentage, the rate at which Korkmaz shot the ball from deep (9.1 attempts per 36 minutes) combined with his occasional offensive craftiness kept him on the court throughout the season.

Korkmaz also made strides on defense last season, as he seemed to meaningfully improve his foot speed, which allowed him to be much more competitive on that end. When Danny Green got hurt during Game 3 versus the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs, it was Korkmaz who took his place in the starting lineup for the remaining four games. In the Hawks series, Korkmaz averaged 7.3 points on .375/.300/.750 shooting splits in 19.8 minutes per night.

Season outlook: Korkmaz should be in for much of the same, this season: he’ll likely remain a key member of the Sixers’ rotation coming off the bench, and have a handful of spot-starts under his belt by season’s end. The contract he signed with the Sixers was wholly reasonable (and frankly, substantially cheaper than I expected him to get). The only issue with Korkmaz on the Sixers is that, in the past, the team has leaned on him out of necessity a bit too much, and a bit more than Korkmaz is equipped to perform.

He shot poorly in the Hawks series (at least he shot! I’m sorry), and despite his season-long percentage from three falling a bit lower than where you’d prefer it, I wouldn’t fret. Korkmaz is a good shooter with a quick, high release, and he fits in basically any theoretical lineup with the Sixers’ roster. He’s a solid player who will continue to add offensive value in his minutes in the rotation.

Rest in Peace, Sondra James. A vibrant and hilarious actor who was a joy to work with.

Rest in Peace, Norm Macdonald. One of the funniest people who ever lived.