The Phoenix Suns should pursue Furkan Korkmaz

Philadelphia 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz has asked the team to move him, and he might be a good fit on the Phoenix Suns bench.

Furkan Korkmaz hasn’t gotten many minutes in Philly, and he’s asked to be traded in just his second year in the league, citing playing time as his only request. The Phoenix Suns should be willing to offer him ten minutes a game and hope he can live up to his bright potential.

Korkmaz was selected with the 26th pick in the 2016 Draft, and the team knew he was raw when they selected him. He spent a year overseas before coming over to the Sixers, but he still wasn’t ready, and the team was much better than they expected they would be, meaning Korkmaz could never crack the rotation.

But now it’s fair to start to wonder why Korkmaz isn’t playing. The Sixers are dealing with an injured Wilson Chandler, which should open up minutes for Korkmaz but hasn’t. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a bust.

Furkan Korkmaz has flashed amazing potential at times. He has a sweet stroke from three, and he dropped 40 points in the Summer League just a few months ago. But in the regular season he’s yet to put it together.

Luckily, the Phoenix Suns should be able to offer him minutes. They’re not particularly deep at guard, and they could take minutes away from veterans to give Korkmaz a shot. He has the potential to become a very good scorer off the bench, and he could become yet another solid young player on this team.

The Phoenix Suns don’t look ready to win now, so it doesn’t make sense to go after a top veteran target in a trade. But that doesn’t mean this year is a wash. Giving up almost nothing to take a flyer on Korkmaz could net the Suns a really nice piece going forward at no cost. And unlike most teams, the Suns can afford to play Korkmaz and help him reach his potential.