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Adem Bona Teams Up With Former Sixers Player at EuroBasket

Adem Bona joins forces with Furkan Korkmaz.
Justin Grasso|
Jan 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) reacts after missing a shot against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 29, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) reacts after missing a shot against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ers

Many NBA players will be taking part in this year’s EuroBasket games overseas. The Philadelphia 76ers will have one member of their current roster participating.

Adem Bona was officially announced as a member of Turkey’s team. The second-year center will join a handful of current and former NBA players. One of his temporary teammates is the former Sixers sharpshooter, Furkan Korkmaz.

The 28-year-old Turkish native hasn’t played in the NBA since his 2023-2024 season with the Sixers. During his final season with the Sixers, Korkmaz appeared in 35 games, averaging nine minutes of action. As his playing time was under 10 minutes per game for the second season in a row, it was clear Korkmaz fell out of favor in Philadelphia.

Furkan Korkma
Nov 29, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz (30) during warmups before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Sixers ended up trading Korkmaz to the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline in 2024. He was waived shortly after. While Korkmaz was rumored to have options on the open market, he didn’t land with anybody. The Sixers’ draft pick ended up playing overseas for the 2024-2025 season.

Last summer, Korkmaz signed with AS Monaco to play in the LNB Elite league. In late December 2024, he joined the Turkish squad Bahçeşehir Koleji. It was a return to pro hoops in Turkey for the first time since before joining the Sixers as the 26th overall pick in 2016.

Adem Bon
Apr 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) reacts against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

As for Bona, he’s gearing up for his second season with the Sixers. After starting his pro career in Turkey, before eventually taking the NCAA route at UCLA, Bona became the Sixers’ second-round pick during the 2024 NBA Draft.

Last season, Bona appeared in 58 games, picking up 11 starts with the team. Seeing the court for 16 minutes per game, Bona averaged six points and four rebounds, while making 70 percent of his shots from the field.

Heading into his second season with the Sixers, Bona is expected to compete for a key role. When healthy, Joel Embiid will be the starting center. Bona and the veteran Andre Drummond will compete for the backup spot.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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