Philadelphia 76ers: 3 players who could be traded during the NBA Draft

2. Furkan Korkmaz

Did you know Furkan Korkmaz is the proud owner of the fifth-highest cap hit on the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022? It’s true; assuming James Harden picks up his option, Korkmaz slots in fifth on the ledger, sandwiched between Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle.

Unfortunately, Korkmaz did not play like the Sixers’ fifth, sixth, or even seventh-best player in 2021-22 and instead looked like a walking trade exception just looking for a new team in search of a young-ish wing on a relatively team-friendly contract.

If, for example, the Sixers want to trade for a player like De’Anthony Melton, who makes $8.25 million, they can’t do it in a one-for-one deal for Matisse Thybulle straight up, even if the Memphis Grizzlies would likely accept that deal. If instead, the team offers up a package of Thybulle and Korkmaz for Melton, then the financial conditions of a deal are met, and the Sixers suddenly find themselves the proud employer of a pretty darn good two-way combo guard.

That, fortunately, or not, is why Korkmaz likely won’t be on the Philadelphia 76ers’ roster this fall and may not even survive the 2022 NBA Draft, as his financial value via trade may just prove more valuable than being an eighth-man who cycles in and out of the rotation depending on the temperature of his shot and the whims of Doc Rivers.