Australia’s Johnny Furphy has finally realised his NBA dream, with the Melbourne teen selected in the second round by Indiana, after the Pacers reportedly sent cash to the San Antonio Spurs to move up one spot.
The Pacers were initially at pick No.36 but moved up to snare the Aussie at pick No.35.
Furphy, 19, will join a young and impressive Pacers team who made the Eastern Conference finals this year.
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Furphy made an impression on NBA scouts after one season with the Kansas Jayhawks, averaging 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his lone season, while shooting 64.2 per cent of his two-point shots.
The Aussie’s blend of size and athleticism makes him a valuable asset and he’s shown promise on defence, while his smooth shooting stroke from the perimeter is a massive plus in today’s three-point heavy NBA.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony described the deal as a “steal” for the Pacers.
“He brings physicality, toughness and a feel for the game,” Givony said.
“This is a quality pick for the Pacers. We had Johnny Furphy projected to go 18th in our mock draft, for them to get him here is a steal.”
Speaking to ESPN, Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers, said landing in Indiana will be of great benefit to Furphy, given their record of developing young players.
Furphy will join the likes of rising star Tyrese Haliburton and NBA champion Pascal Siakam, along with several other younger players who showed incredible maturity throughout their playoff run this season.
“[Pacers president] Kevin Pritchard has done a masterclass in terms of drafting and developing Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, Andrew Nembhard, the list goes on.
“We can add Furphy to that group.”
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Furphy was invited by the NBA to the “green room” for Thursday’s draft but was made to wait until night two of the draft, which is a first for the NBA, which usually stages its annual draft on one night.
The 206cm shooting guard Is viewed as a late bloomer in the sport and did not feature in the Victorian representative side until he was 17 years old.
Yet that was enough for the US College team the Kansas Jayhawks, who recruited Furphy, with the Australian going on to impress many keen judges in the basketball world in his first year of college hoops.
The Pacers took hold of the 36th pick in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline in February.
That pick originally belonged to the Toronto Raptors, and Indiana sent away Buddy Hield to get it.
Indiana’s roster is deep and it will be difficult for Furphy to get minutes on the roster this season, but the team obviously felt strongly about the Aussie to move up from their original selection.
According to reports, last year’s 35th pick got a partially guaranteed $8 million deal over four years and there were similar numbers for the 36th draft pick.