76ers free agents: Stay or Go? (6/28/21)

With the 76ers now being eliminated from the playoffs by the hands of Trae Young and the Hawks, the team now looks forward to the draft and the upcoming free agency period.

Four current Sixers players will be on the lookout for a new deal, whether that would be with the Sixers or another team. The current free agents happen to be Danny Green, Dwight Howard, Furkan Korkmaz, and Mike Scott.

Which of those players should resign? Which of them should look to play elsewhere?

Danny Green

Green turned out to be a solid contributor in the starting lineup for the Sixers the entire season. He was as advertised when they first traded for him back in November in exchange for Al Horford.

He managed to shoot 40.5% from deep while attempting a career high 6.3 attempts. Green was the league leader in corner threes made throughout the regular season.

Not only was he an effective shooter, but he was a solid contributor on the defensive end. Throughout the regular season, the Sixers were 2nd in defensive rating, and 5th in opponent points allowed per game. Green played a role in the team’s great defensive play.

His leadership cannot be talked about enough. There’s a reason why he’s won three championship rings with three different organizations. He was a respected veteran voice in the lockeroom, and that voice was deeply missed in the Hawks series when he went down with a calf injury in game three and ultimately missed the rest of the series.

If the price is right, Green should be an obvious candidate to keep around for another year or two.

Verdict: Stay

Dwight Howard

Howard became a solid backup behind Joel Embiid. He provided the team with rebounding and defense off the bench.

He was second on the team in rebounds during the regular season, and second among all bench players in rebounds averaging 8.4 while only playing 17 minutes a night.

Not only did he contribute in the rebounding department, but he led the team in field goal percentage converting at a 58.7% clip, and was third on the team in blocks averaging 0.9.

Alongside Green, he was a respected voice throughout the lockeroom, and played a big role in the team’s culture and development. After games, he would participate in a shootaround with the younger players such as Tyrese Maxey, Isiah Joe, and Paul Reed to help improve their games.

If he is willing to accept the veteran’s minimum, then the decision to resign him should be a no-brainer.

Verdict: Stay

Furkan Korkmaz

Korkmaz’s pending free agency is a bit trickier, whereas he provides the team with shooting, but he is highly inconsistent.

For the most part, his play on the offensive end declined. A lot of his stats dipped across the board such as his points scored per game, field goal percentage, and three point percentage. All of that resulted in him playing less minutes compared to the season before.

He struggled yet again throughout the playoffs, as he only converted 41.1% of his field goal attempts, and when he was being called upon to make shots from deep, he wasn’t able to answer the call, as he shot an abysmal 31.8%.

On a more positive note, he managed to improve his play on the defensive end. Throughout the season, he became less of a liability, as he averaged a career high in steals averaging 0.9.

While he is only 23 years old and still has plenty of time to develop, his inconsistent play remains a concern, and that would result in the team not being able to rely on him to become a contributor off the bench night in and night out, especially in the postseason.

The Sixers should move on from Korkmaz, and look to add a more consistent shooter to contribute off the bench during the free agency period.

Verdict: Go

Mike Scott

Not resigning Scott is an obvious decision for Daryl Morey. Scott’s struggles all across the board resulted in him hardly being able to play at all, and the only action he would receive were garbage minutes.

At one point during the season, he was replaced by rookie and G-League MVP Paul Reed. He played in only five games throughout the postseason, and only mustered a grand total of six points.

At this point, Scott would be lucky to even be able to sign a 10 day contract with an NBA team.

Verdict: Go