Indiana got a reassuring injury update on Johnny Furphy from general manager Chad Buchanan after the NBA Draft wrapped up on Wednesday, June 25 2026.
Buchanan addressed Furphy while also taking questions about Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers’ draft-day trade that sent Kam Jones out in order to bring in Braden Smith. On Furphy, the message was upbeat. The 6-foot-9 wing is still working back from the torn ACL he suffered on February 8, 2026, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, when he came down awkwardly after a powerful dunk against the Raptors.
That injury hit hard because Indiana had already shifted its focus toward developing young players rather than chasing wins.
Before going down, Furphy had been showing real growth in his second season, especially on defense. The Pacers used him in a few different roles, but his strongest stretch came in a small-ball group alongside Pascal Siakam. Rick Carlisle was openly complimentary of the sophomore wing’s season, pointing to his attitude and work ethic.
Buchanan said Furphy is trending the right way in rehab:
"If you were to watch him out here, you'd be like, this guy looks like he could play. Obviously he's not there yet, everything is going well with Johnny."
"He’s in here pretty much at the same time Tyrese [Haliburton] is. If you were to watch him, he's moving, he's shooting; I think his recovery is going exceptionally well."
He also said Furphy is working on adding strength during the recovery process, calling that "a big priority moving forward" as Furphy heads toward his third season.
Furphy played 35 games last season for Indiana, averaging 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.6 steals in 18.4 minutes per game, with 21 starts. His outside shot still needs work - he hit 32.4% from three after shooting 30% the year before - but he was far more efficient inside the arc, knocking down 60.3% of his two-point tries. At the foul line, though, he struggled badly, shooting 48.6%.
There’s still plenty of upside here, and the Pacers would certainly welcome a healthy Furphy back in the mix. He probably won’t have a major role right away as he comes off a serious knee injury, but his size and skill set give Indiana another depth option it can use in the right spots.
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