June 23, 2016
After the Sixers selected Ben Simmons first overall, they didn't make another pick until 24 despite president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo's best efforts. And with that selection, the front office decided to dip into international waters.
With the 24th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Sixers selected 6'6" french wing Timothe Luwawu. The 21-year-old scored 14.48 points per game for Mega Leks (Serbia), while also contributing 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
"We've got an athletic wing in Luwawu who can defend, can make shots, can do a lot of different things," Colangelo said. "He's a great athlete and we're excited about what he brings.
Think 3-and-D here, but Luwawu might be shooting a little higher than that.
"I don't like to compare my game, but I like to say that I watch the game of Paul George and he plays pretty nice," Luwawu said late Thursday night. "He's a complete player, he plays strong defense."
Luwawu was generally ranked higher than 24th on draft boards (DX has him at 12). On paper, his athleticism and catch-and-shoot potential — he shot 36 percent from deep in all competitions — makes for an excellent fit on paper next to Simmons.
Then with the 26th pick, the Sixers went across the pond again. They drafted 6'8" wing Furkan Korkmaz, an 18-year-old shooting guard that plays for Anadolu Efes, Dario Saric's team. Think mostly three here: The younger Korkmaz has to put weight on, but he shot 40 percent from beyond the arc in all competitions.
"I had a chance to see him play numerous times over the last several years, and you're talking about a very young man that has also, like Dario, been playing pro basketball for a couple of years now," Colangelo said. "I think he has probably a little bit more of a leg up than some of the younger players stepping into the league one year removed from school."
Korkmaz also won his league's dunk contest in March with the help of a Darth Vader costume, so you know he's awesome:
As for the two buyout situations, I'll defer to Philly Mag's Derek Bodner. Luwawu told me that he plans on playing in the NBA next season, so it sounds like he's at least come over right away while Korkmaz is TBD:
The #sixers can contribute up toof $650k towards each of Dario Saric's, Timothe Luwawu's, and Furkan Korkmaz's international buyouts.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) June 24, 2016
Told Luwawu's buyout fits into that $650k amount. As previously mentioned, Korkmaz's is more ($2m), but can be paid in installments.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) June 24, 2016
In the end, have heard both Luwawu and Korkmaz have interest in coming over to NBA. I Expect Luwawu to this year. Korkmaz could be stashed.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) June 24, 2016
Colangelo said that the Sixers had an opportunity to package both picks to move up into the mid-teens. He expressed that both players want to come over, but there are financial issues that could get in the way.
"At the end of the day, we'll try to see what the best path is, not only for the player but for the organization," Colangelo said. "If it means that they both come, we do have a roster that is in flux right now. The other good news that with the D-League team, if we do take a young player, we've got an opportunity to play those players."
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
