Pacers GM Chad Buchanan says Johnny Furphy remains on track for a potential midseason return from the torn ACL he suffered in February.
Johnny Furphy's original timeline for a return from a torn ACL still points to the middle of the season, according to general manager Chad Buchanan, who would not attach a date to it Thursday. The Indiana Pacers front office met with reporters at a Pacers Foundation golf event five days before camp.
Furphy tore the ACL in his right knee on Feb. 8 in a 122-104 loss at the Toronto Raptors. He landed awkwardly after a dunk in the third quarter and left the floor in a wheelchair. An MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York confirmed the tear the next day.
Furphy's Rehab Remains on Schedule
Buchanan said the updates from the medical staff have not changed since the last time he spoke about Furphy.
"Johnny's done everything he needs to do," Buchanan said. "And he's hit all the benchmarks and the bars. He's been in a lot. Updates from the medical staff, I don't think anything has changed since we last talked about Johnny's progress, but it's all been extremely positive. He looks great. Timeline wise, I think the original timeline [was] sometime in the middle of the year. I don't want to put a date on it, but confident in his rehab coming along well."
Buchanan last addressed Furphy publicly after the draft in June. He said then that Furphy looked like he could play if you watched him in the building, but that he was not there yet. Buchanan also said Furphy was in the building at about the same times as Tyrese Haliburton.
In August, Furphy told Tony East of Forbes he was in a good place with his rehab. He was back on the court by then but had not reached five-on-five work as of late August, East reported.
The one-year mark of the injury is Feb. 8, 2027.
Furphy Had Earned Starting Role Before Injury
Before he got hurt, Furphy had started 21 of Indiana's previous 22 games, including 18 straight. He averaged 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 35 games last season, playing 18.4 minutes and shooting 47.0% from the field. He played 31 minutes in his last game before the injury, and he scored 14 points against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 3.
The Pacers selected Furphy 35th overall in 2024 after one season at Kansas. He is from Melbourne, Australia.
He will earn a guaranteed $2.3 million this season. Indiana holds a $2.5 million team option on his contract for 2027-28.
Pacers Enter Camp With Few Injury Concerns
Buchanan said the rest of the roster enters camp with "some guys dealing with some minor stuff, but nothing like we're super concerned about." He did not name anyone.
Haliburton, who tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, has no restrictions entering camp. Ivica Zubac, whose season ended March 20 with a fractured rib, spent the summer with Croatia's national team.
On the wing, the Pacers added Kelly Oubre Jr. in July. Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, and Ben Sheppard return.
Media day is Monday, followed by the first practice Tuesday. The regular season begins Oct. 21 at the New Orleans Pelicans.
