Furkan Korkmaz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Notes: Korkmaz, Colangelo, Leaf, Draft

June 11th, 2017 at 9:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t count on seeing Furkan Korkmaz in a Sixers uniform next season, writes Derek Bodnar on his website. The 26th pick in last year’s draft, Korkmaz spent this season playing in Turkey and has a $2MM buyout to leave Anadolu Efes. He would probably spend most of next season in the D-League if he does join the Sixers, which may not be better for his development than another year overseas, plus it would take one year off his rookie contract and push him closer to free agency. The buyout is also an issue because it exceeds the $675K that the Sixers are permitted to pay, along with Korkmaz’s rookie contract of about $1.2MM. Unless Anadolu Efes is willing to renegotiate, Bodner believes Sixers fans will have to wait at least another year for Korkmaz.

There’s more this morning out of Philadelphia:

The draft will present Bryan Colangelo with his most difficult decision since becoming the team’s president of basketball operations, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Sixers hold the third selection, and there’s no obvious choice if Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are the first two players taken. Duke’s Jayson Tatum would provide much-needed scoring, while Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox would be a valuable point guard in case the team changes its mind about having Ben Simmons run the offense. Josh Jackson of Kansas and Malik Monk of Kentucky are also considered possibilities. Colangelo said he prefers athletic players with the versatility to handle multiple positions. “If it’s the vision of where we want to take this basketball team, again, talent versus fit is something that we clearly always look at,” he said. “But we’re a young team, the stage where we are. You can’t necessarily choose one or the other. Right now, what we’re looking at is a situation that again the group of players that are available to us at No. 3 is probably going to be able to address both with the same decision.”
Georgetown guard L.J. Peak, who recently worked out for the Sixers, was a high school teammate of Jahlil Okafor, notes Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. They spent a year together at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago, and Peak would like to team up again. He is considered a late second-round pick at best, and Philadelphia holds choices No. 36, 39, 46 and 50.
The Sixers aren’t likely to keep all of their second-rounders, Camerato writes in a separate piece. They already have eight players under contract for next season and will be looking for draft-and-stash opportunities if they can’t unload some of the picks.

Sixers Notes: Fultz, Ball, Embiid, Simmons, Korkmaz

June 5th, 2017 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

With the No. 3 pick in this month’s draft, the Sixers aren’t overly likely to have a chance to draft either Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball, but that doesn’t mean the team isn’t doing its due diligence on those top prospects. President of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo told reporters today, including Derek Bodner (Twitter link) that they’ve talked to Fultz’s reps about the possibility of working him out, though it seems like he may only audition for the Celtics.

Meanwhile, Colangelo said the Sixers haven’t yet met with Ball, but would still like to do so, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com tweets. With the exception of those two point guards, Philadelphia has workouts lined up for all of this year’s top prospects, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Here’s more on the Sixers:

According to Colangelo, the Sixers have their eye on six or seven prospects with the No. 3 overall pick (Twitter link via Bodner). In addition to Fultz and Ball, I’d imagine guys like De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, and Malik Monk are under consideration.
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons won’t participate in Summer League play for the Sixers, Colangelo confirmed today (Twitter link via Bodner). Both players are coming off season-ending injuries, so it seems the team will take it slow and look to get them ready for the fall.
2016 first-round pick Furkan Korkmaz, a draft-and-stash prospect, may play for the Sixers in the Summer League, depending on his international commitments (Twitter link via Bodner). For now, Korkmaz is traveling to Philadelphia to visit the Sixers and work out with some of the club’s players, per Pompey (Twitter link). The young shooting guard wants to come stateside for the 2017/18 season, but has a pricey buyout – $2MM, according to David Pick – and the 76ers may want to stash him for a little while longer.
Tyler Cavanaugh (George Washington), Derrick White (Colorado), Tahjere McCall (Tennessee State), Isaiah Briscoe (Kentucky), Reggie Upshaw Jr. (Middle Tennessee State), and Melo Trimble (Maryland) worked out today for the Sixers, as Pompey writes for The Inquirer.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, D. Smith, Sixers, Celtics

May 18th, 2017 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

While top point guard prospects like Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, and De’Aaron Fox may be off the board by the time the Knicks pick at No. 8 in the draft, North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr. has “landed squarely in their crosshairs,” according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman takes a closer look at Smith, and speaks to his college coach Mark Gottfried, who is skeptical that the young point guard will still be available at No. 8.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

In the wake of Tuesday night’s draft lottery results, Joel Embiid shared his thoughts on the potential No. 3 pick for the Sixers, per Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. Embiid acknowledged that Fultz and Ball will likely be gone by the time Philadelphia picks, but identified Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum as two targets for his team.
Last week, we heard that Furkan Korkmaz would like to join the Sixers for the 2017/18 season, but that report came with the caveat that Philadelphia is “in no rush” to bring over the 2016 first-rounder. President of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo essentially confirmed as much on Wednesday, suggesting that the 19-year-old may not be physically ready for the NBA, and adding that Korkmaz’ buyout also complicates the situation. Tom Moore of The Bucks County Courier Times has the details and the quotes from Colangelo.
Iowa State’s Deonte Burton will work out for the Knicks on Wednesday and the Celtics next Friday, reports Ian Begley of ESPN.com. Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com adds another Boston-related workout note, tweeting that the C’s auditioned Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo prior to the combine.
Earlier today, we rounded up a few Celtics-related items and examined the Sixers‘ salary cap situation for 2017/18.

Furkan Korkmaz Hopes To Join Sixers For 2017/18

May 11th, 2017 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Draft-and-stash prospect Furkan Korkmaz is hoping to join the Sixers for the 2017/18 season, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. According to Pompey, Korkmaz has two years left on his contract with Turkish club Anadolu Efes, but is ready to leave Europe and come stateside.

Although signing with the Sixers is a priority for Korkmaz, the team isn’t necessarily on the same timeline. Pompey writes that Philadelphia is “in no rush” to bring over the 2016 first-rounder, who is still just 19 years old. Additionally, Korkmaz’ contract doesn’t include an NBA out for the coming offseason, and sources tell Pompey that the buyout on the deal is “complicated.”

For the 2017/18 season, NBA teams will be permitted to contribute up to $675K toward a player’s international buyout. However, if a buyout exceeds $675K, the player must make up the difference, and Pompey’s report suggests that may be the case for Korkmaz.

The Sixers drafted three players in the 2016 first round, but only one – 24th overall pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot – saw any action for the team in 2016/17. Top pick Ben Simmons missed the year due to injury issues, while Korkmaz, the 26th overall pick, remained in Turkey.

Having been loaned by Anadolu Efes to Banvit, another Turkish club, for much of the 2016/17 season, Korkmaz averaged 10.3 PPG in 18 Turkish League games for his new team, making him the third-highest scorer on the roster.

Sixers Rumors: Noel, Holmes, Korkmaz

December 19th, 2016 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Nerlens Noel recently changed agents, and his new representatives are working together with the team to try to find a potential trade for the disgruntled big man, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Given the 76ers’ lack of leveraage, the team will have a hard time extracting decent value in any deal, and there’s no sense that anything is close right now, according to Kyler. Still, he adds that “there is some urgency to getting the public dispute resolved.” For now, Noel is not a part of the Sixers’ regular rotation.

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

The decision to remove Noel from the rotation drew most of the headlines, but Richaun Holmes is also the victim of the numbers game in Philadelphia, having logged back-to-back DNP-CDs. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details, head coach Brett Brown suggested last night that he feels worse for Holmes than Noel, who missed the first month and a half of the season with a knee injury. “Richaun has been here since Day 1,” Brown said. “I feel that is something that’s on my mind as much as Nerlens.”
There’s plenty of blame to go around in the Noel situation, according to Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com, who notes that Noel, Brown, former GM Sam Hinkie, and current GM Bryan Colangelo all played a part.
International basketball reporter David Pick has an update on Sixers draft-and-stash prospect Furkan Korkmaz, tweeting that the 2016 first-rounder – who is playing in Turkey – has been traded from Anadolu Efes to Banvit.

Sixers’ Furkan Korkmaz To Remain In Turkey

July 8th, 2016 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

The 26th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, Furkan Korkmaz, is set to remain in Turkey for another year, according to multiple reports. Sportando, Eurobasket, and TrendBasket are among the international outlets confirming that Korkmaz is returning to his Turkish team, Anadolu Efes, for at least one more season. International basketball journalist David Pick first reported on draft night that Korkmaz wouldn’t join the 76ers right away.

Korkmaz, who will turn 19 later this month, was selected by the Sixers with the third of their three first-round picks in June. Unlike fellow first-rounders Ben Simmons and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, he didn’t sign his rookie deal with Philadelphia last week in order to join the club for Summer League action.

Korkmaz, in his age-18 season, played sparingly for Anadolu Efes in Euroleague action this year, averaging just 8.3 minutes per game in 19 appearances. He did shoot 42.3% on three-pointers during that small sample size.

While Philadelphia won’t be bringing over Korkmaz right away, the team may end up signing another Anadolu Efes player this month. Dario Saric, the 12th overall pick in 2014 and Korkmaz’s teammate in Turkey, is a good bet to join the Sixers for the 2016/17 season.

International Prospects: Luwawu, Korkmaz, Zubac

June 23rd, 2016 at 11:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Each year, the draft brings questions about which foreign players are ready for the NBA immediately and which ones will remain overseas for a year or more. A few answers were provided tonight:

Greek center Georgios Papagiannis, drafted 13th overall by the Kings, has a buyout cost with his Panathinaikos club, tweets Sean Cunningham of ABC10 in Sacramento. However, GM Vlade Divac says the price is manageable and promises Papagiannis will be with the Kings next season.
French swingman Timothe Luwawu, whom the Sixers drafted at No. 24, plans to join the team next season, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.
Furkan Korkmaz, the Sixers‘ pick at No. 26, will not be in Philadelphia for 2016/17, according to international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). The Turkish forward will be stashed overseas for at least a year.
The Lakers plan to have Croatian center Ivica Zubac on their roster next season, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. L.A. took Zubac with the second choice in the second round. He had received a “soft promise” from the Lakers if he fell to the 32nd pick, according to Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
German small forward Paul Zipser will play for the Bulls during the 2016/17 season, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Givony believes the 22-year-old can find a role in Chicago right away.
Egyptian forward Abdel Nader of Iowa State, the Celtics‘ pick at No 58, has agreed to spend next season in the D-League, according to Givony (Twitter link). Players who agree in advance to be stashed in the D-League don’t count against the salary cap.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Poeltl, Thunder, Jazz

June 17th, 2016 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Utah big man Jakob Poeltl worked out for the Timberwolves earlier this week, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), who notes that the club has done its homework on every possible top-five prospect. Poeltl currently ranks eighth on DraftExpress.com’s big board and 12th on Chad Ford’s at ESPN.com.

Here’s more from around the NBA’s Northwest division:

With the NBA increasing its salary cap projection for 2016/17 to $94MM, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman explores what that would mean for the Thunder and Kevin Durant.
The Nuggets and Jazz are both holding pre-draft workouts on Saturday, according to announcements issued by the teams. Denver will be hosting Furkan Korkmaz (Turkey) and Tanner Samson (Elon Phoenix), while the Jazz (Twitter link) are taking a look at Ante Zizic (Croatia), Jordan Tolbert (SMU), and Gracin Bakumanya (Democratic Republic of Congo).
Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune examines why it has been a challenge for the Jazz to attract top-level prospects for pre-draft workouts over the last couple years.
Timberwolves CEO Rob Moor has stepped down from his position, the team announced today. Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune discusses the move, which shouldn’t have a real impact on Minnesota’s basketball operations.

Draft Updates: Zizic, Zubac, Korkmaz, Washpun

June 13th, 2016 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for prospects to withdraw from the 2016 NBA draft is today at 4:00pm central time, which means this year’s draft class will get a little smaller by tonight. The majority of the NCAA underclassmen who have decided not to remain in the draft made their decisions final several weeks ago, since the NCAA’s cut-off for retaining eligibility came earlier. Today’s deadline will have an impact on plenty of international players, however, as they decide whether it makes more sense to keep their names in the draft this year or try their luck down the road.

Here are some of Monday’s latest NBA draft updates, including a handful of notes on those international prospects…

Croatian big men Ante Zizic and Ivica Zubac will both remain in this year’s draft, and both players project to be selected in the 15-25 range, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Twitter links). Ford also provides an update on Serbian wing Rade Zagorac, who will keep his name in the draft. According to Ford (Twitter link), Zagorac figures to be picked in the 25-40 range.
Ford adds (via Twitter) that French wing Timothe Luwawu will remain draft-eligible as well, though his value is a little harder to pin down — Ford suggests that Luwawu could come off the board in the back half of the first round or early in the second.
Eighteen-year-old Turkish shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz will remain in the draft, reports ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla (Twitter link). Korkmaz will likely be one of the first international prospects to come off the board, perhaps even in the lottery.
Former Northern Iowa guard Wes Washpun is set to work out for the Timberwolves, Bucks, and Bulls this week, league sources tell Michael Scott of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link). Washpun didn’t earn a spot in Jonathan Givony’s or Chad Ford’s top 100 lists, so he projects as a potential undrafted free agent.
Ben Leibowitz of Graphiq (link via The San Jose Mercury News) takes an in-depth look at which NBA franchises have had the best and worst luck in the draft lottery since its introduction.

Draft Updates: Hield, Korkmaz, Whitehead

May 11th, 2016 at 1:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former Oklahoma star Buddy Hield is taking part in day-one activities at the NBA draft combine today, but he’ll leave for graduation ceremonies and miss the athletic testing portion of the predraft showcase that runs through Sunday, reports Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter link). So, the combine for the shooting guard will consist of interviews with teams, measurements and medical tests, Ford notes. The ESPN scribe has Hield at No. 6 in his prospect rankings, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress pegs him seventh.

See more from the draft scene:

European superagent Misko Raznatovic has negotiated an NBA buyout clause into the contract of each of his draft entrants (Twitter link), including first-round prospect Furkan Korkmaz. Givony, who first reported the existence of Korkmaz’s clause, pegs its value at $2MM. The 18-year-old shooting guard would likely withdraw from the draft if he doesn’t get assurances that he’ll become a lottery pick, sources told Givony for a piece on The Vertical. Korkmaz is Ford‘s No. 15 prospect and No. 17 with Givony.
The Magic and Bulls have expressed interest in drafting Seton Hall sophomore shooting guard Isaiah Whitehead, and the Sixers have him on their radar as well, according to Jerry Carino of the Asbury Park Press. Still, Whitehead isn’t a contender for the lottery picks that those teams hold, as Carino points out. Instead, he’s a second-round prospect, ranking No. 35 with Ford and only No. 65 with Givony. He has the ability to pull out and return to college ball within the next two weeks if he doesn’t hire an agent.
Kent State junior forward Jimmy Hall has withdrawn from the draft, as he announced on Twitter (hat tip to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com). Hall was a long shot to be drafted, ranking outside the top 100 on Ford’s and Givony’s lists.
Junior college power forward Emmanuel Malou has hired agent Daniel Moldovan and is staying in the draft, as Moldovan told ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla (Twitter link). Signing with an agent wipes out his remaining college eligibility, but concern had already existed about whether the NCAA would clear the 6’9″ Australian who’d committed to Iowa State, Goodman notes (on Twitter).