Furkan Korkmaz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Korkmaz, Irving, Knicks, Leonard

December 13th, 2018 at 7:24pm CST by JD Shaw

Despite being unhappy with his playing time in October, Furkan Korkmaz has received more opportunities in the past few weeks with the Sixers. Korkmaz has played in 15 of the 76ers’ last 16 games, scoring 18 points in 34 minutes against the Nets on Wednesday.

Korkmaz admitted that he wasn’t ready to see significant playing time last season, but took leaps forward as an all-around basketball player during the offseason. There was an expectation entering the 2018/19 season that he would see more time on the court, as has been the case recently.

“At the time I was telling to people, even like my agent, my parents, my sister, it doesn’t matter who, I was telling them I want to play this year,” Korkmaz told Jessica Camerato, who profiled him for an in-depth Basketball Insiders story. “It was my goal. It was my second year … I knew that I wasn’t ready last year. I wasn’t ready. I knew that. I just worked hard, even when I got injured.

“But I feel like I improved a lot then, not as basketball, physically, as my body. I was saying to people, ‘I want to play,’ … I never got down mentally. I knew that my time will come, but I didn’t know when.”

Korkmaz, 21, was drafted by the Sixers with the No. 26 pick in 2016 after spending multiple seasons overseas. He’s scoring 5.8 points per game on 43% shooting from the floor, 34% from 3-point range and 86% from the charity stripe so far this season, and could earn more minutes as the season progresses if he doesn’t get traded.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Kyrie Irving has embraced his leadership role with the Celtics this season, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports writes. “He’s really taking guys under his wing — very vocal, encouraging when he needs to be. He’s really embracing that role,” teammate Al Horford said of Irving. The Celtics are winners of seven straight games and have a 17-10 record nearly two months into the season.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News projects which players will have a future with the Knicks, detailing talents such as Trey Burke, Enes Kanter and Tim Hardaway Jr. The Knicks agreed to a two-year deal with Allonzo Trier and waived Ron Baker on Thursday.
Raptors star Kawhi Leonard has been the MVP the team hoped for this season, our own Mark Suleymanov writes for The Sporting News. Leonard has guided the Raptors to a league-best 23-7 record this season, holding per-game averages of 26.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals.

The Latest On Furkan Korkmaz

November 3rd, 2018 at 1:25pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers declined to exercise Furkan Korkmaz‘s third-year option, meaning he will become a free agent at the end of the season. It was previously reported that Korkmaz wouldn’t mind being traded, as he isn’t receiving an opportunity to consistently play. He confirmed that desire to be traded should he continue to sit on the bench.

“I’m still the same way,” Korkmaz said. “That’s why I will try to see what my opportunities are right now. Just like I told you before, I just want to play,” the 21-year-old said (via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer).

“If I’m not getting minutes here, I just want to look for other options. I don’t know what’s the options right now, just try to be on the court,” Korkmaz continued.

The Sixers drafted Korkmaz with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He’s only played in 19 career NBA games with five of those coming this season.

“I feel like I didn’t really have that opportunity,” Korkmaz said of receiving playing time. “Last year, I was injured for a long time and this year just a couple of games in the garbage time. It wasn’t like good rotation minutes for me. That’s why I feel like I didn’t get that opportunity to show on the court what I got.”

Atlantic Notes: Leonard, Celtics, Splitter, Korkmaz

November 1st, 2018 at 7:51pm CST by JD Shaw

The Raptors are taking a long view on Kawhi Leonard, ensuring that he remains in good health throughout the rest of the season, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports writes. The team rested Leonard against the undefeated Bucks on Monday, the first half of a back-to-back set against Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

Leonard missed most of last season with a quad injury and has spent this season regaining his stamina, working to get back into a consistent game shape. He’s averaged 27.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 3.2 APG so far on the year.

“It feels good, [I] just don’t want to overdo it too early since I missed out on a year,” Leonard said about his quad. “It’s just injury prevention, so [I’m] just not playing back-to-backs for right now.”

When healthy, Leonard is a top-tier defender who’s improved vastly on the offensive end. The Raptors acquired him in a trade with the Spurs this past offseason, labeling him as a player who could lead the team to a deep playoff run.

Toronto is scheduled for 12 back-to-backs on the season. It’s unclear how long Leonard will rest for these sets, with the 27-year-old in his eighth NBA season.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Several Warriors players have labeled the Celtics as the biggest threat in their quest to a three-peat this season, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Players such as Kevin Durant and Draymond Green recognized the strengths of Boston, including the team’s ability to switch on defense and their depth off the bench.
Former NBA center Tiago Splitter has spent this season with the Nets sharing coaching and scouting duties. “Our goal this year is to improve last year’s result when we had 28 wins,” Splitter said, according to Nets Daily. “We want to do more than that, but we also think about the long run.” Splitter retired last February and joined the Nets in a dual role shortly after.
Derek Bodner of The Athletic examines the Sixers‘ decision to decline the third-year option in Furkan Korkmaz‘s contract. Philadelphia will have an extra $2MM in cap space next summer as a result, and Korkmaz will reach free agency on July 1.

Sixers Decline Option On Furkan Korkmaz

October 31st, 2018 at 4:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers won’t pick up the third-year option on Furkan Korkmaz, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 21-year-old shooting guard was set to earn $2,033,160 next season, but he hasn’t been able to crack the rotation and is no longer in Philadelphia’s long-term plans.

The decision doesn’t come as a surprise because Korkmaz wasn’t included in the Sixers’ announcement Monday when they exercised their options on Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz and Dario Saric. Teams tend to release all their option decisions at once, although Simmons, Fultz and Saric were easy choices.

Korkmaz hasn’t seen much playing time since leaving Turkey to join the Sixers before the start of last sesason. He has appeared in five games this this year, averaging 5.2 minutes per night. He got into just 14 games last year and spent much of the season in the G League.

Today’s decision means Korkmaz will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. He will receive his full $1,740,000 salary for this season, but he could become much more expendable if the Sixers need to open a roster spot.

The decision may also make it more difficult for Philadelphia to trade him. Unless he gets waived, Korkmaz can’t be offered a starting salary higher than the value of his option by whichever team has him when the season ends. That may lead an interested team to wait for free agency, rather than giving up something in trade and risking not being able to re-sign him.

Sixers’ Furkan Korkmaz: “I Just Want To Play”

October 31st, 2018 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

As the Sixers weigh whether or not to exercise Furkan Korkmaz‘s 2019/20 rookie scale option in advance of today’s deadline, the second-year shooting guard says that he’s just seeking the opportunity to play regular minutes, as Keith Pompey of Philly.com relays.

[UPDATE: Sixers decline option on Furkan Korkmaz]

“I just left my country to come here and to play here,” said Korkmaz, who played professionally in his home country of Turkey before joining the Sixers in 2017. “I just want to play. Then I feel like I’m ready to play. That’s why I looking for an opportunity to play. This is my second year. I just need to play.”

The 26th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Korkmaz was stashed for a year before signing his rookie contract with the Sixers last year. He has appeared in just 19 NBA contests since arriving in Philadelphia, playing 106 total minutes. The 21-year-old entered 2018/19 hoping to secure a rotation role, but has been surpassed on the depth chart by rookie Landry Shamet and may also be behind Jerryd Bayless when the veteran gets healthy, per Pompey.

A trade is a possibility, according to Pompey, who hears from a source that Korkmaz wouldn’t mind being dealt due to his lack of playing time. The former first-round pick didn’t confirm or deny that, suggesting that he’s simply waiting on the Sixers’ decision on his option and hoping to receive more minutes.

“First of all, I want to see what the team is going to say to me,” Korkmaz said. “I’m waiting for them to tell me, ‘We are going to pick up your option’ [or] ‘We are not going to pick up your option.’ Then I want to think about it. I want to play. I just want to play.”

Atlantic Rumors: Korkmaz, Kanter, Marks, Wallace

October 29th, 2018 at 5:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers are still mulling whether to pick up swingman Furkan Korkmaz‘s option for next season, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Philadelphia has a Wednesday deadline to make a decision. His option for the 2019/20 season is slightly over $2MM. If the Sixers decline, Korkmaz will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. The 6’7” Korkmaz has made four brief appearances this season after seeing action in 14 games last season.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks center Enes Kanter isn’t thrilled about being demoted to the second unit, Howie Kussoy of the New York Post reports. Kanter came off the bench against Golden State on Friday even though he’s the team’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder. Coach David Fizdale is determined to develop his younger players. “We all understand where our team is at and what we’re trying to accomplish right now,” Fizdale said. “One way or another we do have to bring our puppies along.” Kanter’s $18,622,514 salary comes off the books at the end of the season and the Knicks are expected to pursue higher-level free agents.
Warriors GM Bob Myers believes Nets GM Sean Marks has a blueprint for future success, as he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Brooklyn has hoarded cap space to be a major player on the free agent market next summer. “I think they’re on their way,” Myers said. “They play in a great city, and Sean is smart. They’re in a position now with their picks and cap space where they’ll be able to make some change, and it’ll probably be positive.”
Rasheed Wallace, who won a championship with Detroit in 2004, was invited to Knicks practice on Sunday to instruct the big men, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports. Wallace, who was invited by GM Scott Perry, gave rookie Mitchell Robinson plenty of food for thought. “He pushed me to talk more on defense. I have a tendency to be a little quiet. And him, he brings it,” Robinson told Bondy. Fizdale plans to invite another ex-Piston, Chauncey Billups, to deliver tips to his young guards.

Sixers Pick Up Options On Simmons, Fultz, Saric

October 29th, 2018 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have exercised their 2019/20 team options on Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and Dario Saric, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Those decisions, which were due on October 31, don’t come as any surprise.

Simmons’ fourth-year option will lock in his $8,113,930 cap hit for 2019/20, though it’s Fultz’s third-year option, worth $9,745,200, that is the priciest of the bunch. Saric’s fourth-year option is more modest, with a value of $3,481,986. In total, the three options will tack on about $21.34MM in guaranteed money to Philadelphia’s cap for next season.

Simmons and Saric are now on track to become eligible for rookie scale extensions during the 2019 offseason. The 76ers will have to make one more option decision on Fultz, with that decision on his 2020/21 option due a year from now.

Philadelphia must make one more rookie scale option decision by Wednesday, with Furkan Korkmaz‘s $2,033,160 third-year option for 2019/20 also outstanding. A recent report suggested that option was a good bet to be exercised, but if the team announces its decisions on the other three options without mentioning Korkmaz, that won’t bode well for him. The cap hit on his option wouldn’t be much higher than the minimum salary, but declining it would help the Sixers maximize their cap space.

We’re tracking all of the 2019/20 rookie scale option decisions right here.

Sixers Notes: Saric, Draft History, Korkmaz, Injuries

October 28th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dario Saric‘s slow start may be related to the time he spent this summer with the Croatian national team, but he doesn’t plan to stop representing his home country, relays Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Saric shot just 26.5% from 3-point range and 37% overall in the Sixers’ first five games, which coach Brett Brown believes is related to a year-round work schedule.

“I don’t think it’s anything to do with the league scouting him differently,” Brown said. “I think it maybe does have to do with a little bit of burnt energy. It’s the toil of a summer. … This notion, that you play 12 months and you’re really in a good flow, is a myth. It is a myth. People need rest.”

However, Brown doesn’t expect Saric to change his priorities. As a former Olympics coach with Australia, Brown understands the passion of international competition. The NBA has long embraced the idea of players representing their native lands and it means too much to Saric to consider changing.

“Absolutely, I think I would be a better player if I didn’t play five, six years on the national team,” he said. “I think I would be a better player. But at the end of the day, everything is winning. You want to win with the national team.”

There’s more today from Philadelphia:

Costly draft mistakes have forced the Sixers to rely on trades or free agency to add a third star to pair with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The organization used high lottery picks on Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, who were both traded away for little return, and chose Michael Carter-Williams ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013. They couldn’t sign free agents LeBron James or Paul George this summer, while Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Raptors. Pompey states that the pressure for a huge move will be intense heading into the last summer for a while that significant cap space will be available.
The Sixers are expected to pick up the third-year option on Furkan Korkmaz, even though he doesn’t see much playing time, Pompey adds in the same story. Korkmaz would only make $2.03MM next season, which shouldn’t be enough to affect the team’s free agency plans. Philadelphia has until Wednesday to decide on the option for Korkmaz, along with Simmons, Saric and Markelle Fultz.
Injuries are at least partially to blame for the Sixers’ slow start, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Philadelphia hasn’t gotten much production outside of Simmons, Embiid and J.J. Redick, but two offseason pickups who were expected to be important parts of the reserve unit, Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala, have both been sidelined by injuries.

Atlantic Notes: Korkmaz, Irving, Hayward, Nets

September 8th, 2018 at 5:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

Furkan Korkmaz is hoping to have a bigger role with the Sixers this season, he said in an interview with Bein Sports Turkey (hat tip to Orazaio Cauchi of Sportando). The 21-year-old only got into 14 NBA games last season, averaging 5.7 minutes per night. During the first two months of the year, he spent most of his time in the G League.

“I want to be in the rotation this season, I want to play more minutes,” Korkmaz said. “Of course, I don’t know how many minutes specifically I’ll play, but I’d like to have a more stable role. I think I have something to say in this league and I hope this season will be different than the last one.”

Korkmaz was the 26th selection in the 2016 draft and spent a season in Turkey before coming to Philadelphia. He showed off his scoring prowess in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League with a 40-point performance against Boston.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward have made significant progress in their return from injures, according to Ashith Mathur of AmicoHoops. A source who watched them play pickup games at the Celtics‘ practice facility said both players “look impressive” with a little more than two weeks to go until training camp. Irving had knee surgery in April that forced him to miss the playoffs, while Hayward suffered a season-ending ankle injury on opening night. Both have been training at full speed for about a month, Mathur adds, and Hayward should be cleared for five-on-five action next week.
With the Celtics poised to add another top prospect to their collection of young talent, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston takes a look ahead to next year’s draft. Boston could have as many as three first-rounders in June and will get the better pick from the Kings or Sixers [No. 1 protected], which is almost certain to be Sacramento’s. Blakely tabs Duke’s R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson, North Carolina’s Nassir Little, Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford and Sekou Doumbouya of France as potential future Celtics.
The Nets may have maximized their resources better than anyone this summer, writes Jesse Blancarte in Basketball Insiders’ season preview for Brooklyn. Highlights include unloading Timofey Mozgov‘s hefty contract, re-signing Joe Harris and landing free agents Ed Davis and Shabazz Napier on affordable contracts. The consensus among the writers in the preview is that Brooklyn may be ready to challenge for a playoff spot.

Atlantic Notes: Monroe, Nets, Porzingis, Injuries

February 14th, 2018 at 6:23pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite having an opportunity for more minutes and a chance to play in his hometown of New Orleans, newly-signed Celtics big man Greg Monroe chose Boston. Why? Because he wants to compete for a title, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston.

Although still only 27 years old, Monroe, who got his first taste of the playoffs last season with Milwaukee – and averaged 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game – is at a point in his career where being on a club with the potential to go deep into the playoffs is of the utmost importance. “It’s exciting,” Monroe said of being in the playoffs. “Last year I was able to play in it. The atmosphere was great. So, I’m looking forward to getting back there again.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Nets have lost six games in a row and nine of their last 10, and are now only one game ahead of the last-place Hawks, who are tied with Dallas and Phoenix for the worst record in the NBA. Despite the losing streak, head coach Kenny Atkinson is working hard to build a winning culture in the locker room, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis is ready to begin his rehab after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. “I’m attacking my rehab right away,” Porzingis wrote. “I truly believe that with consistent hard work, patience and positive attitude I’ll come back stronger, better, and sharper than ever.” And Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek took the enthusiasm one step further, telling Marc Berman of the New York Post that Porzingis will ultimately “be glad he went through it.”
Sixers role players Justin Anderson and Furkan Korkmaz have each suffered injuries this season, and Derek Bodner of The Athletic has updates on both players. Anderson, who suffered a high ankle sprain in Monday’s win over New York, will be out at least 7 to 10 days before being reevaluated, and Korkmaz, who has been out since December with a Lisfranc injury, has been cleared for controlled basketball activities.