Johnny Furphy believes his maturity, off-ball movement and motivation will make him a good fit for the Indiana Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — Johnny Furphy didn’t think he’d be taken in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft, but he did. It was a tough night for the Kansas product, who was invited to the green room for the draft but wasn’t selected among the top 30 picks.

“It was tough,” said the Australian winger. He was one of two players invited to the green room who were not selected in the first round – Utah’s Kyle Filipowski was the other.

The Indiana Pacers got lucky. They didn’t have a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, so it was hard to imagine Furphy being available to them. However, with their highest pick coming up — the 36th overall pick before the draft — the blue and gold had a chance to grab Furphy.

They wanted to get the deal done and traded up one spot from 36th to 35th to get the 19-year-old. Furphy remembers feeling a sense of relief when he heard his name called at the 35th pick. He was headed to Indiana and had to keep in mind that despite losing the draft, he’s still in the NBA.

“A lot of emotions,” Furphy said. “But it’s definitely a motivation thing. Being in the green room, seeing everyone selected. But I think I landed in a great place.”

The rookie forward averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his lone collegiate season. His shooting from the perimeter was impressive, as he made 35.2 percent of his three-pointers and 64.2 percent of his two-point attempts. By the end of his freshman season, he was a starter.

His outside shot has been up and down, and he needs to get stronger. Furphy has room to grow in the NBA, as any young player drafted does. But he likes how he could fit in with the blue and gold as a transition player and jump shooter.

“I think the Pacers have a super exciting style of play. Their team dynamic is something I can see myself fitting into very well,” Furphy said Saturday. He signed a four-year contract earlier in the day, a league source said. Pacers on SIwho has a team option on the final season. “Just the speed at which they play. The impact of different players on the game. I can kind of imagine myself doing that.”

Indiana is comfortable with anyone on the court shooting three-pointers. Furphy, for someone his age, can certainly make outside shots. In fact, very few freshmen have matched his volume and shooting percentages — since 2008, Furphy is one of four freshmen who have taken nine three-pointers per 100 possessions while making 35 percent of their three-pointers and 63 percent of their two-pointers. The other three are Corey Kispert (currently with the Washington Wizards), Jarron Cumberland (formerly with the Portland Trail Blazers) and Parker Friedrichsen (still at Wake Forest).

He moves well without the ball, which he attributes to the fact that he has always played with older teammates. They generally had more control than Furphy, so he had to impact the game in other ways. Usually, it was about getting away from the play and cutting.