Former Kansas wing Johnny Furphy faring well during first NBA Summer League practices

Former Kansas wing Johnny Furphy has made a strong first impression on Indiana Pacers summer league coach Jannero Pargo as the team prepares for his pro debut — Friday night’s NBA 2K25 Summer League opener against the Brooklyn Nets in Las Vegas.

“Furphy has stood out to me,” Pargo told reporters Tuesday at Pacers training camp in Indiana. “I just told one of the guys on staff he kind of reminds me of a smaller Lauri Markkanen with his movement pattern, the way he shoots the ball. He’s still young. He’s still growing, but he competes at a high level. We’re happy to have him. We’re looking forward to what he can bring to us in the summer league.”

Furphy, the Pacers’ second-round draft pick who averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds a game his one-and-done season at KU, stands 6-9, 190 pounds, compared to Utah Jazz standout Markkanen’s 7-foot, 240-pound frame.

Previously, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan had offered his own comparison regarding Furphy.

“We asked coach (Bill) Self that actually. He had Christian Braun who plays for the Nuggets,” Buchanan said. “It’s kind of an easy comparison because he’s a KU guy, but I don’t know if that’s necessarily the right comparison.

“Johnny is a young enough player (age 19) he could turn into a couple different types of guys if he’s the worker we think he is and if he fits into our system the way we think he will. It’s a tough comparison I think. We talk about that a lot. He’s a tough one to ‘comp.’ He’s got a little bit of several different guys.”

Furphy told media after practice Monday he’s felt well-prepared for Pacers’ summer workouts after playing for Self one season at KU.

“Going through practices, (Self) wants to see how you react times when different things are thrown at you,” Furphy said. “It gets you ready, just having that professional mindset of practice, understanding how important practice is and how it translates into games.”

Furphy was the last player added to KU’s 2023-24 roster — in August 2023.

“I was super late. Being a late addition — it helped me mature as a person and as a player,” Furphy said. “Full credit goes to the (KU) coaching staff. They did an amazing job welcoming me to the team.”

It was reported this week by spotrac.com that Furphy has signed a 4-year, $8,589,485 contract with the Pacers, including $6,102,490 guaranteed, on an average annual salary of $2,147,371.

The Pacers have a club option on Furphy for the 2027-28 season.

Furphy was the 35th overall selection in the 2024 draft. Indiana acquired Furphy from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Juan Nunez, the 36th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and cash considerations.