By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
On the heels of a busy offseason, Anadolu Efes is considering a possible addition to the 2023-24 squad. General manager Alper Yilmaz shared the current plan in an interview presented on the official YouTube channel of the Istanbul outfit.
“We will not complete a transfer just for the sake of completing a transfer,” he pointed out, “We are looking for a player that can change the team and make a positive contribution.”
“Of course, when it comes to players of such quality, they are waiting for the NBA before making a final decision,” he added.
“I will not name players, but we are considering three players. Maybe two different names come to my attention every single day,” furthered Yilmaz, “We don’t want to sign a player without the head coach’s approval.”
The departures of both Ergin Ataman and Vasilije Micic surfaced in extremely different situations, heading to the next season. Besides hiring a new head coach in Erdem Can, the list of newcomers was highlighted by Darius Thompson with Tyrique Jones, Ercan Osmani, Derek Willis, and Erkan Yilmaz adding to the new look.
“We are waiting”
Switching topics, Yilmaz reacted to the decision affecting the playing status of Shane Larkin in Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi. Both the Efes guard and Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko were sanctioned by the Turkish Basketball Federation for missing the Olympic Games Pre-Qualifying held in Istanbul.
“We jointly looked at this situation with Larkin’s manager, his lawyers, and the lawyers of Wilbekin. Larkin had the right to appeal and went to arbitration. We also filed a separate appeal as a club. We are waiting,” he mentioned on recent sanctions forcing Larkin and Wilbekin to play as foreigners in the domestic league.”
“They thought it was necessary to impose sanctions based on certain articles. We disagree. That is why we objected,” he explained.
Yilmaz, 48, was the back-to-back recipient of the Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year award before handing it over to the most recent winner Paulius Motiejunas. His decisions led to Efes capturing the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.