Sixers: Furkan Korkmaz is playing for a new (and improved) contract

For the second playoff game in a row, the Philadelphia 76ers got a much-needed boost from an unlikely hero. First it was Shake Milton coming off the bench and dropping 14 points in limited action during Game One, next it was Furkan Korkmaz subbing in for the injured Danny Green and contributing 14 in 27 minutes of action during Game 2. With Green likely set to miss the next couple of games due to a calf strain, Korkmaz is going to get a unique opportunity to earn himself a new (and improved) contract this offseason – with the Sixers or someone else.

Playing in the second year of a two-year/$3.3 million deal that he signed back in 2019, Korkmaz’ role with the Sixers hasn’t been the most solidified of things. Former head coach Brett Brown spent a lot of time trying to develop him into a sixth man “bomber,” whereas Doc Rivers has used him more as a role player.

While Rivers hasn’t completely shunned Korkmaz out of the team’s rotation by any stretch of the imagination, his playing time has dropped by a few minutes, primarily due to the acquisition of Seth Curry and the before mentioned Green. He wasn’t expected to be a huge part of the team’s playoff rotation prior to the aforementioned Green injury.

With Korkmaz now set to be a regular starter for the Sixers moving forward (at least until Green returns), and only turning 24 years old in late July, we’re now looking at a scenario where the Turkish born sharpshooter could earn himself a bit of a payday this summer.

It’s not uncommon for teams to overvalue a player’s postseason performance, especially when it comes to things like floor-spacing. Korkmaz is a career 37.7% three-point shooter who’s currently shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc during this year’s postseason – the market for such a player (especially one who’s on the younger side) is generally high. Fringe playoff teams looking to spend their mid-level exception on shooting could be attracted to Korkmaz and his potential availability.

Set to receive a minutes boost following Danny Green’s calf injury, Sixers G/F Furkan Korkmaz is playing for an offseason payday.

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While you could make the argument that Philly should look to retain someone like Korkmaz (you can never have enough shooting), it’s likely that the team will look to use their money elsewhere, to further improve their bench and their overall roster depth. If the market is small for Korkmaz, you could see him re-sign on a league minimum contract similar to how he did in 2019 (he was set to return to Turkey prior to Elton Brand offering him a deal), but that feels unlikely.

Ultimately speaking, Korkmaz’ offseason solely rides on how he performs in the Philadelphia 76ers starting lineup over the next few games. If he churns out another couple double-digit point performances on efficient shooting, he could be looking at a handful of suitors later this summer.

The odds are stacked in Korkmaz’ favor as well. He typically performs strongly alongside the likes of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and the Hawks’ defense likely won’t pay a whole ton of attention to Korkmaz compared to the Sixers’ other regular starters.

As long as Furk is hitting his open shots, it should be quite the favorable offseason for him and his agent.