Philadelphia 76ers Furkan Korkmaz Reported Reassigned For More Playing Time

Philadelphia 76ers Furkan Korkmaz Being Reassigned by Anadolu Efes to Pinar Karsiyaka to increase playing time

Furkan Korkmaz was the 26th selection of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.  His scouting report projected him as one of the top “3-and-D” talents in the draft.  On some boards, he was second only to Philadelphia 76ers 24th selection Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.

But where TLC is simply raw, Furkan Korkmaz is ultra-raw.  And so, as the Philadelphia 76ers concluded that Luwawu was ready for the NBA.  Not that this precludes Luwawu getting a D-league assignment. Meanwhile, Korkmaz was given the green light to continue his Euroleague career.

Like Luwawu, Korkmaz needs playing time.

And so, per FanSided’s Trevor Magnotti, Philadelphia 76ers draft-and-stash prospect Furkan Korkmaz will be transferring clubs from Anadolu Efes to Pinar Karsiyaka.  

Kormaz is averaging just 11.7 minutes per game so far this season, in a year where playing time is a high priority. Anadolu Efes had recently signed former 76er prospect Brandon Paul to fill their back court, and Paul’s presence has place Kormaz’s playing even further in doubt.

Per Magnotti:

"The move to Karsiyaka should benefit all parties. This is a loan, meaning that Efes retains control over Korkmaz’s European rights. But for Korkmaz, it is an opportunity for more playing time. Karsiyaka is a small step down from Efes — still a solid club in Turkey, but it will put him in the FIBA Champions League, a more reasonable competition level for Korkmaz at this stage. Karsiyaka is a solid 3-point shooting team, who already has former Texas swingman J’Covan Brown and Polish guard Mateusz Ponitka on the roster. But they’ve lacked a real sharpshooter, which Korkmaz can be, and this allows them to move Muhammed Baygul into more of a bench role."

Key Takeaway

The key here is that Korkmaz will get more playing time.  So far, his playing time has fallen below his expectations, so the move will boost his experience.  Experience is the highest priority for Kormaz in the eyes of the 76ers this season.

Furkan Korkmaz is part of the equation for the Philadelphia 76ers’ future.  We have discussed the matter at length so far. While the long-term impact of this move is positive, it may delay Korkmaz’s arrival to the NBA for another year.  Will he stay for two years, much like his predecessor Dario Saric?

Ultimately, he needs time on a basketball court to prepare for the eventual NBA career.  This move gets him playing time. In the end, that is the ultimate goal.

Next: Philadelphia 76ers T.J. McConnell Nearly Had Triple Double

While everything looks to be a “GO”, scrutinizing the Turkish report does reveal that this is not a 100% done deal.  In the article from http://www.altyapibasket.com/, the story concludes with the phrase “nothing is concrete”. More playing time is a win-win.

But we’ll need to monitor this situation more closely.  Korkmaz must improve, and eventually master all Euroleague competition before he will be an NBA certainty.  The international front just became far more interesting.

EDITORS UPDATE: Following up on this story became rather complicated due to the language and time differences. But in the end, this tweet came out:

Translated:

Not true. Furkan Korkmaz was not rented (reassigned) to Pınar Karsiyaka.

We will continue to monitor this story for further developments.