MONDAY, 11:35am: The deal is official, team spokesperson Michael Preston announced (on Twitter).
SUNDAY, 3:18pm: Furkan Aldemir has agreed to a four-year deal in the $12MM range with the Sixers, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The first two years of Aldemir’s deal will be guaranteed. David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link) reported earlier today that the big man received his visa, allowing him to officially make his transfer to the Sixers.
The Sixers first reached agreement with the draft-and-stash prospect back in November. Since then, however, there have been a series of roadblocks and hurdles that delayed the union between Aldemir and Philadelphia. Now, however, Aldemir ostensibly has obtained FIBA clearance and the blessing of his Turkish club, Galatasaray, paving the way for him to pursue his NBA dream.
The Sixers obtained the NBA rights to the 6’9″ power forward in the 2013 Royce White trade with the Rockets. Aldemir, said to be a decent rebounder, reportedly wasn’t being paid in a timely fashion for his hard work as Galatasaray was behind on paying off his three-year, $5.3MM deal. The 23-year-old has played exclusively overseas since entering the draft in 2012, when the Clippers made him the 53rd overall pick before sending him to the Rockets the next day.
The deal marks one of the first attempts that Philadelphia has made to cash in on its store of overseas talent that includes the rights to No. 12 overall pick Dario Saric and two other 2014 draftees. As Hoops Rumors’ roster counts show, the 76ers are at the maximum of 15 and will have to make room for Aldemir before adding him to the roster. Aldemir is represented by agent Misko Raznatovic.