Furkan Aldemir received his visa and will officially make his transfer to the Sixers, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter Link). The deal was first reported back on November 24th but numerous issues have caused delays in bringing Aldemir to Philly. The team currently does not have an open roster spot with the signing of Ronald Roberts Jr. on Friday so another move for the Sixers in the future is likely.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Leading up to the 2009 draft, Stephen Curry told the Warriors to stay away because he wanted to play for the Knicks, writes Harvey Araton of the New York Times. “The Warriors had some questionable characters on their team, the Knicks really needed a point guard, and we felt that Stephen would fit perfectly with a coach like Mike D’Antoni, playing that fast, up-and-down style. He loved the idea of playing at Madison Square Garden,” said Dell Curry, Stephen’s father. Curry ended up being drafted by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick of the 2009 draft, one pick ahead of the Knicks, who ended up drafting Jordan Hill.
- Although coach Brett Brown was disappointed with the decision to trade Brandon Davies, the Sixers made the right move, opines Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Moore acknowledges that Davies has improved his game through hard work but argues that Davies isn’t a player whom the Sixers can build around once they have a contending team. Moore likens the situation to Philadelphia’s choice not to bring back James Anderson last offseason. Anderson could certainly help the team improve today but he didn’t show enough to indicate that he could contribute on a winning team.
- The Knicks are off to a horrible start at 5-20 but optimism is starting to surround the team, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Head coach Derek Fisher noted that New York is starting to look like “a team” after Friday’s win over the Celtics. Carmelo Anthony, who played a key role in the win, knows success will quiet the rumors surrounding him on the team. “If we were winning, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about a story out there that says I want a trade,” Anthony said in reference to a report that claimed he was open to waiving his no-trade clause to a winning team.