The Indiana Pacers announced Tuesday that rookie guard Johnny Furphy has been reassigned to their G League affiliate, the Indiana Mad Ants, to gain more in-game experience. This marks Furphy’s second stint with the Mad Ants this season, following a brief assignment on Nov. 6.
Furphy, the No. 35 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has struggled to find consistent minutes with the Pacers this season. The 6-foot-8 Australian guard has appeared in 23 games, averaging 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per contest while shooting .382 from the field and .344 from deep.
During his college career at Kansas, Furphy earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors after averaging 9.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and shooting .466 from the field across 33 games. However, with Indiana sitting at 19-18 and ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference, the team has leaned on its veteran swingmen and limited Furphy’s role.
The Mad Ants (3-2) currently rank seventh in the Eastern Conference and are among the G League’s highest-scoring teams. This assignment will provide Furphy an opportunity to refine his game in a competitive environment.
Indiana, meanwhile, continues to navigate a challenging season after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last year. The team has faced struggles with integrating Pascal Siakam into its high-tempo offense and managing injuries to key players like Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith. Despite these hurdles, the Pacers are on a three-game winning streak and have gone 7-3 over their last 10 games, showing signs of progress under head coach Rick Carlisle.
The Pacers expect Furphy to benefit from the additional playing time with the Mad Ants as they aim to keep their playoff hopes alive.
