We are only two weeks into the 2018-19 NBA season and Sixers second-year guard Furkan Korkmaz is unhappy about the lack of playing time he is receiving.
The Turkish guard has only played a grand total of 26 minutes through five games, which is surprising, especially with how he played in the summer league back in July.
With that being said, the 21-year-old Korkmaz reportedly wants to the Sixers to trade him, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Before Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors, Korkmaz neither denied nor confirmed the report but expressed his desire to play.
“I just left my country to come here and to play here,” he said. “I just want to play. Then I feel like I’m ready to play. That’s why I looking for an opportunity to play.”
“This is my second year. I just need to play.”
In addition to this reported trade request, Pompey also added that the Sixers have not decided on if they will pick up Korkmaz’s third-year team option, which is worth $2.03 million. Korkmaz is in an awkward position because as previously mentioned he had a solid summer league, including an amazing 40-point performance against the Boston Celtics.
Not to mention, he also held his own in the G-League last season during his rehab stint. But if he is going to be stuck at the end of the bench, the Sixers might be better off trading him.
However, the only issue with that idea is what can you get for a player, who is averaging 1.4 points and 0.8 rebounds in 19 career games. The Sixers could possibly trade Korkmaz for a future second-round pick or use him in a larger deal to acquire a player that is ready to help the team now.
This is not the first time that the Sixers have been in this position before with a player, who was not playing a lot of minutes and not potentially apart of their long-term plans. Last season, they declined Jahlil Okafor’s 2018/19 fourth-year team option, which then led to the former third overall pick reportedly requesting a trade or buyout.
The Sixers ultimately did not buy him out but ended up trading him along with Nik Stauskas to the Brooklyn Nets for Trevor Booker. It was not the greatest deal for the Sixers, but it was clear that both parties needed a change of scenery.
If the Sixers do not pick up Korkmaz’s option on Wednesday, then we could see the same situation take place for a second-straight season.
