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.