Furkan Korkmaz: No plans for Europe, aims for NBA return / News - Basketnews.com

NBA free agent Furkan Korkmaz dispels European signing rumors and clarifies his All-Star break trip to Turkey as preplanned, emphasizing his priority to return to the NBA after being waived by the Pacers.

Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect - Scanpix Credit USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect - Scanpix

Despite reports suggesting a potential move toBesiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, 26-year-old Furkan Korkmaz has taken to social media to announce that he is not going to sign a deal in Turkey. His top priority remains securing a spot in the NBA after being waived by the Indiana Pacers.

Furkan Korkmaz

Team:Position:SGAge:26Height:197 cmWeight:77 kgBirth place:Istanbul, TurkeyProfileNewsStatistics

In his statement on the X platform, Korkmaz clarified the purpose of his trip to Istanbul during the NBA All-Star break, emphasizing that spending time with family and friends was preplanned instead of negotiating the potential contract.

"Before I say anything else, I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and well wishes regarding the next chapter of my career. At this point, I feel the need to inform all of you about where things are," he wrote.

"This was a preplanned trip to Turkey for the All-Star break so that I could spend a little bit of time with my family and friends," Korkmaz added. "I will be going back to the United States in a few days, where my agent is currently holding talks with a couple of different NBA teams."

Korkmaz's NBA journey took a turn when he was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers just before the February 8 trade deadline, as part of a deal centered around Buddy Hield.

Shortly thereafter, he was waived by the Pacers. In the 35 NBA games he played this season, Korkmaz averaged 2.5 points per game.

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