The Indiana Pacers take Johnny Furphy with the 35th pick in the NBA Draft
By Ryan Stano
The Indiana Pacers didn't have any first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft after they traded both of them to Toronto for Pascal Siakam. That was the right move in what is a weak draft. But the Pacers still have three second-round picks that they can use to improve the team.
The first of those picks was the 36th overall pick in the Draft. Instead, the Pacers decided to trade up one spot with the Spurs to make sure that they got the guy that they wanted. They traded the 36th pick and cash to the Spurs for the 35th pick to draft Johnny Furphy.
Furphy is a wing out of Kansas that a lot of people were surprised to see slip into the second round. He stands at 6'9 and 202 pounds, so he has the size that Indiana covets. He can also make threes after he shot 35% from beyond the arc in his one year at Kansas.
The Pacers draft Johnny Furphy from Kansas
Furphy has length on the perimeter and is fairly athletic. He might not get a lot of time to start out next season but he can learn. If he is able to hit shots right away, he can earn some time on the court. As a bench guy, he can fill the role that Doug McDermott failed to fill when he was brought in midseason.
Indiana will likely not sign all of the second-round picks that they make. It would be surprising if they did. I wouldn't be surprised to see them trade some of them before the night is through. Furphy is likely to stay with the Pacers though since they traded up for him.
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Furphy has upside as a shooter and he's not a bad rebounder. To get someone like him in the second round is a win for the Pacers.