2016 draft pick Furkan Korkmaz wants to leave Europe, join Sixers

By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor

The Philadelphia 76ers had three picks in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft, selecting Ben Simmons first overall, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot with the 24th pick and Furkan Korkmaz 26th. Simmons participated in Summer League play, but missed his first season with a foot fracture while  Luwawu-Cabarrot played more in the second half of the season and showed a lot of potential.

That leaves draft-and-stash prospect Furkan Korkmaz as the only 2016 draft pick we haven't seen in a Sixers uniform quite yet. Sure, Simmons only put on a Summer League jersey, but Korkmaz hasn't even worked out on the floors of the Sixers practice facility in Camden. Like Dario Saric prior to joining the Sixers this past season, Korkmaz is under contract with Turkish basketball team Anadolu Efes for two more seasons. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Korkmaz, 19, wants to get out of his contract and play for the Sixers during the 2017-18 season.

Sixers draft pick Furkan Korkmaz wants out of Europe and in a Philly uniform next season, sources said.

However, the shooting guard has two seasons remaining on his contract with Turkish team Anadolu Efes. Korkmaz has a complicated buyout that could prohibit from him to achieving his goal, according to sources.

Although he wants to play for Philadelphia this upcoming season, he'll more than likely spend at least one more year overseas to become a little more polished for the NBA and to also add some bulk to his 190 pound frame. Pompey goes on to write that Bryan Colangelo watched Korkmaz play in the Basketball Championship League Final Four in a recent scouting trip to Europe. 

In 10 Basketball Championship League games for Banvit, the team he was loaned to by Efes this season, he averaged 10.4 points on 48.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc en route to earning the BCL's Best Young Player award.

On May 7, his final BCL game of the season, he scored 28 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including 5-for-9 from three-point range. In addition, he grabbed 10 rebounds.

Check out some of his highlights and a quick interview after winning the award last week: 

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