The 76ers make their first splash of the 2021-22 free agency, bringing back the Turkish sharpshooter Furkan Korkmaz. Korkmaz and the Sixers have agreed on terms for a three-year contract worth $15 million.

Korkmaz is only 24 years old, but already has four seasons under his belt, all with the 76ers. Furkan expressed an interest to stay in Philly after the 2020-21 season, and the two sides have reached an agreement that is friendly for the team. Going into free agency the Sixers were already around 12 million over the cap according to Spotrac, so it will be interesting to see how Furkan’s contract is structured over the three years.

Furkan Korkmaz is coming off a season where he averaged just over nine points a game off the bench. Kork was known for his good three point shooting that the Sixers could insert into the starting lineup, or keep opposing teams spaced out through the second unit. Furkan is a career 38% three point shooter, and has flashed his sharpshooting on many occasions during his time in Philly. While nine points a game doesn’t jump off the page, Korkmaz did have seven games where he shot above 40-percent from three and tallied 16+ points during the regular season. Of course, any Sixer fan can also remember this iconic clutch three from Korkmaz from the 2019-20 season.

Furkan Korkmaz has undoubtedly improved his game each season, becoming much more comfortable going to the mid range and even cutting to the hoop for dunks. Furkan’s steady rise of attempted field goals per game each season shows his confidence to put the ball on the deck and not rely solely on the deep ball.

Furkan Korkmaz has certainly leaned much more on the “3” in “3-D” in his career, but has developed himself into a much better defender than his early years. Last season, he even managed to average around a steal a game off the bench. Between his length and size at 6’7, he gives the 76ers some much needed depth at small forward.

This year’s NBA free agency has opened with a bang, and while the Sixers have stayed quiet for most of it due to cap restrictions, it is nice to see Daryl Morey bring back a familiar face to the bench on a very good deal.

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