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

Adem Bona Teams Up With Former Sixers Player at EuroBasket

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 8:08 AM ET

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.

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.

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.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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