In a surprising development, Furkan Korkmaz will return to the Sixers. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that the shooting guard will re-sign with Philadelphia on a two-year deal worth the minimum.
Philadelphia turned down his third-year option on his rookie contract last season and it was assumed that the team would not bring him back, as taking that measure limited them financially in terms of what kind of deal they could re-sign him on. The Sixers (or any team that would have traded for him prior to last season’s deadline) were limited to a starting salary of approximately $2.03 million–the amount he would have received during the third year of his rookie deal–because of CBA guidelines.
Korkmaz will make approximately $1.62 million during the 2019-20 season and $1.76 million the following year.
The 6’7″ wing only saw action during 48 contests for the Sixers last season, though his role was never steady as the team made major trades in November (Jimmy Butler) and February (Tobias Harris) that impacted his standing within the rotation.
Depth was a major issue for the Sixers last season, something that was apparent during their 7-game series loss to the Raptors. Bringing Korkmaz back adds to a revamped Philadelphia squad that includes solid options off the bench.
The team inked Kyle O’Quinn and Raul Neto while re-signing Mike Scott and James Ennis this offseason. Factor in Korkmaz, first-round pick Matisse Thybulle and redshirt freshmen Zhaire Smith (yes, Smith saw action in six games at the end of the season), and coach Brett Brown has the pieces to put together a respectable second-unit.
