2016 Houston Rockets Draft Prospect Series: Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey

The Houston Rockets enter the upcoming 2016 NBA Draft without a top draft pick by virtue of making the post season. Unfettered the Rockets still hope to nab a star prospect with the potential to effect immediate results.  Over the next month SCS will look at the draft prospects   with a view to team fit and what moves would need to occur to get that pick. Is Furkan Korkmaz a prospect worth trading for?

Draft Prospect:

Specifics:

• Height: 6’6″
• Weight: 170 – 200
• Country: Turkey – Bakırköy, Istanbul
• Position: Shooting Guard
• Age: 18
• Reach: no data available
• Wingspan: no data available
• College or Pro League: Andoulu Efes of Turkish Basketball League
• Stat line: 19 Games, 2.7 Points Per Game, 0.9 Rebounds Per Game, 0.5 Assists Per Game, 42.3% from deep in 8.8 minutes

Current Rank:

ESPN Chad Ford: 12th

Draft Express: 15th

NBA Scott Howard Cooper: 15th

Bleacher Report: 14th

The Skills:

Chad Ford lists Furkan Korkmaz skill set as shooting and ball handling.

Interesting there is a wide discrepancy of Korkmaz physical stats ranging from 170 pounds to 200. That in itself is a huge difference as it’s hard to imagine the young Turk having success in the Association if he’s as slight as 170 pounds.

That said, scouts refer to Korkmaz as the prototypical shooting guard given his height and athleticism. The fact he’s been playing in a professional league garnering success bodes well for him however.

Scouts talk about Korkmaz as the prototypical NBA 2-guard. He has size and athleticism, can shoot it from deep and can handle the ball. His turnovers and lack of strength can be attributed to his age, as he’s just 18. His experience playing for in the Euroleague is considered a major plus by scouts.

As Howard-Cooper opines the issue will be adding weight and strength. Still given the youngster is just 18 and already has great ball handling skills and ability to hit from deep he becomes a worth while project especially for teams needing to add those two specific skill sets.

Honors and Awards:

As per Wikipedia:

• 2x TBL All-Star (2015, 2016)
• TBL Slam Dunk Contest champion (2016)

The Fit:

Hey, Houston will always be interested in guys who can shoot and have ball handling skills, but the question is would they trade assets for a youngster likely needing time to develop and grow in the D-League.

Final Thoughts

With both rookies Montrezl Harrell and Sam Dekker seeing precious little on court playing time or K.J. McDaniels for that matter it’s hard to see Morey investing in trading assets to go get a project. Especially when the man who occupies the same position (James Harden) isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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