2016 NBA Draft Prospects: Breaking Down Future of Turkey’s Furkan Korkmaz

Limited playing time and overseas production won’t keep NBA teams from showing interest in Furkan Korkmaz. Scouts have ultimately had the opportunity to watch him since 2013, from the under-16 European Championships to last summer’s under-19 World Championships, where he averaged 13.7 points in 24.2 minutes on 45.2 percent shooting from three. 

He’s played the last two years against pros in Euroleague and the Turkish Basketball Super League with Anadolu Efes, who dresses former draft-and-stash NBA talents Dario Saric and Cedi Osman.

And despite receiving so few reps relative to college freshmen, he’s still managed to put together enough flashes and a strong first-round case for the 2016 NBA draft.

Just 18 years old, Korkmaz is more likely to be viewed by teams as a stash candidate and long-term investment.

Relevant Stats

Teams aren’t likely to get carried away with Korkmaz’s stats, given his small role and sample size. But they should put stock in his long-range efficiency, given the consistency he’s demonstrated and the NBA value tied to shooting. 

Korkmaz’s sales pitch starts with his 44.3 percent three-point clip, which he’s earned by converting at least 41 percent of his triples in both the BSL and Euroleague. He did the same thing a year ago. 

Playing just  12.1 minutes per game combined, there was only so much scoring Korkmaz could generate. He averaged just 4.6 points or 15.2 per 40 minutes. 

The teenage Turkish wing fared much better inside the arc during BSL play, having hit 56.9 percent on two-pointers, a big difference from the 35 percent he shot in Euroleague (though it only came on 20 attempts). 

Strengths 

Though there isn’t an official height measurement for Korkmaz, he’s mostly listed around 6’7″, which would be fine size for a projected 2-guard or wing, give or take an inch. 

The bigger draw, however, is his bounce. Winner of the BSL’s slam dunk contest, Korkmaz effortlessly skies off one foot when given a runway to take off from. 

He projects as an asset in transition capable of converting open-floor situations into easy finishes. 

Combine that size and athleticism with a tested shooting stroke, and it’s no wonder why the NBA buzz hasn’t faded while …

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