By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The first Basketball Champions League Best Young Player, Furkan Korkmaz, is back, eight years after shining with Banvit.
The 28-year-old winger signed with BCL outfit Tofas for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, the team announced on Friday.
His contract includes an EuroLeague buy-out clause, in effect from January, as reported by Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops Turkiye.
After being selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 26th overall pick of the 2016 NBA draft, Korkmaz displayed his talents in the inaugural edition of the Champions League and spent the next seven years with the Sixers. Back in the 2016-17 journey, he reached the championship game of the Final Four with Banvit and fell to host Iberostar Tenerife, but earned the Best Young Player award with 10.4 points per contest over ten games.
His success paved the way for later winners, including Nolan Traore and Tidjane Salaun getting the nod for the 2024-25 and 2023-24 seasons, before taking their talents to the NBA. Sadik Emir Kabaca, Giordano Bortolani, Yoan Makoundou, Carlos Alocen, Tamir Blatt, and Arnoldas Kulboka cover the rest of the list.
Bouncing back in the top-tier club competition of FIBA Europe, shortly after capturing silver with Turkiye in EuroBasket 2025, the Istanbul native meets the Bursa outfit at 2-1 in Group D of the Regular Season, amid a battle for a ticket to the Round of 16.
Mersin Spor adds Koray Cekici
Besides Tofas, another Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi side, Mersin Spor, picked up 23-year-old Koray Cekici on Friday. The Turkish winger is set to debut in the BCL.
Also on Friday, 28-year-old Demajeo Wiggins was formally released from his contract with Karditsa Iaponiki and is expected to join the Shenzhen Leopards.
Last Tuesday, before the Gameday 3 contest against Unicaja on Wednesday, Filou Oostende parted ways with 26-year-old Kevin Obanor.
The Turkish, Greek, and Belgian clubs are in Group G, sitting at 2-1, 1-2, and 0-3, respectively.