The Philadelphia 76ers have signed Furkan Korkmaz to a contract on the first night of NBA Free Agency. The signing was made public by Korkmaz’ representation:
With the first Turkish #NBA player! #istbasketfamily ???@FurkanKorkmazFK pic.twitter.com/F8WMzl3JDW
— Agency ISTBASKET (@IstBasketTR) June 30, 2017
(Note: Korkmaz is far from the first Turkish player in the NBA, joining a list consisting of Hedo Turkoglu, Ersan Ilyasova, and Enes Kanter, whose recent public comments about the government in Turkey have made him an enemy of the state).
Korkmaz was drafted by the 76ers in 2016 but stayed in Turkey to play most of the year with Banvit. According to Liberty Ballers, the young guard averaged 10.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Now, as the Sixers attempt to speed up their rebuild, Korkmaz will be tasked with bringing in some much needed shooting prowess. The 76ers have plenty of young, talented players looking to burst onto the scenes in Philadelphia and Korkmaz can now join their squad.
Korkmaz joins a core consisting of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, number one overall pick Markelle Fultz, and several other complementary pieces.
The terms of the Turkish guard’s contract have not yet been released.
