Furkan Korkmaz is a Sixers prospect worth waiting for

With the NBA draft looming and the vaults opening for NBA free agency next month, the 76ers will be expected to address their most pressing need of long range, dead-eye shooters.

For Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric to have some room to do their work in and through the lane, a floor spacer or two or three will need to be obtained.

We've heard the names, whether it be Malik Monk through the draft or the likes of J.J. Redick, Ersan Ilyasova or Danilo Gallinari via free agency. A name heard peripherally just might be someone the team has big plans for in filling that void.

Furkan Korkmaz was the 26th overall pick by the team last year, though just an 18-year-old at the time. A teammate of Saric's at the time with Anadolu Efes in the Turkish League, the 6-foot-7 guard flashed NBA-worthy offensive potential, with a consistent jump shot with range, above-average passing skills and a very good ability to be the ooper on the ends of a lot of allys. He improved this season also with Efes and then on loan to Banvit, averaging nearly 10 points in 29 games, but shot a solid 41.6 percent on threes.

The Turkey native arrived in Philadelphia last week to familiarize himself with his future surroundings, coaches and teammates. When that future will be is still unknown, as for him to get here, he would have to buy out his current overseas contract, which is close to $2 million. The Sixers could pay up to $650,000 of that, leaving a hefty bill for the teenager. And, while he says he is up to about 85 or 86 kilos in weight (a slight 187 pounds or so), he appears a couple years of home cooking and weight-room visits away from being NBA-ready. But then again, the Sixers are probably at least that far from being a top-tier team in the Eastern Conference, should all the "ifs" turn into "yeses". While the coming draft and free-agency period might lend to the immediacy of the rebuild, it's players such as Korkmaz who supply some more wing security of the future, just like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.

"He's a good one. We're excited to have him," director of basketball operations Vince Rozman said of Korkmaz. "He has a lot of layers to his game, more than people think. He can put the ball on the floor a little bit. He's a pretty good passer. He's confident for how old he is. He had a good year. We're excited.

"He's young. He's really young. His body needs to develop. A lot of it is just experience. But where he is right now, he's in a good place. I know the guys are happy with him. He seems to be fitting in well. He's excited, I know that."

As are fans of the team – immediately excited because of Embiid, Simmons, Saric, draft and free agency; long-term thrilled because of TLC, Korkmaz and a pair of first round picks the next two seasons.

And if you think an 18-year-old from Turkey might be a little too distanced to the way of NBA life, consider his reaction when asked about Saric: "He's got game," Korkmaz replied, as if they had just finished playing pickup on the streets of South Philly.

"I am reading – also some people who live in Philly who (are Sixers fans), they are also texting me, 'We need you. We need shooters.' I really appreciate them. I think my best ability is shooting. But this is basketball and you need to do all the stuff, not just shooting, I am working on my weakest parts, so I am going to improve all of these things.

"I think I do great on the offensive part and I need to improve my defense, also. Like everybody has a strongest part, everybody has a weakness. I have a weakness, I have strengths, so I need to improve everything."

As do his future teammates, his eventual coach, president and organization. There are many pieces that could make that happen in the near future, with more, perhaps, coming soon. The security pieces, such as Korkmaz, only add to the anticipation surrounding the organization.