Philadelphia 76ers Rumors: Furkan Korkmaz May Stay in Europe for Another Year
Turkish shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz was a big question mark when the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him last year, but he's finally making waves in Europe. Korkmaz's offensive game has improved by leaps and bounds this past season and he's now an all-around offensive threat.
Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey has reported that his sources said Korkmaz wants to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) next season, but a complicated buyout with Anadolu Efes may prevent him from joining the Sixers.
"Korkmaz has a complicated buyout that could prohibit from him to achieving his goal, according to sources," Pompey said in his report.
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"Plus, the Sixers are in no rush to bring him here. Another year in Europe will enable the 6-foot-8, 190-pounder to add much-needed strength and bulk. He also needs to get stronger and a little more polished to play in the NBA," he continued.
"Sixers president Bryan Colangelo and vice president of player personnel Marc Eversley watched him play in the Basketball Championship League final four during their recent two-week scouting trip in Europe," he added.
The Sixers could really use a player like Korkmaz on their roster next season. He's a legitimate outside threat who can space the floor to give Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons more room to operate and he also has a solid drive-and-slash game.
However, stashing Korkmaz in Europe for another year doesn't seem like such a bad idea. After all, he still needs to bulk up and work on his game on the defensive end. He is under contract with Anadolu Efes for two more seasons.
He played sparingly for Anadolu Efes before he was loaned out to Banvit in December last year. With Banvit, Korkmaz finally got the chance to prove that he could play heavy minutes and he was named the Basketball Champions League's (BCL) best young player for the 2016–17 season.
