Pacers say Johnny Furphy has 'hit all the benchmarks' in ACL recovery; return expected this year

INDIANAPOLIS – Seven months since Pacers forward Johnny Furphy tore his right ACL, the team feels he’s recovering at the rate it originally expected.

The Pacers expect Furphy, who turns 22 in December, to return to the lineup around the midseason mark. Furphy averaged 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in the 35 games he played for the Pacers in 2025-26.

“Johnny’s done everything he needs to do, and he’s hit all the benchmarks and the bars,” said Ted Wu, the Pacers’ executive vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. “He’s been in (the facility) a lot. … 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 is sometime in the middle of the year, I don’t want to put a date on it. But I’m confident in his rehab coming along well.”

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After playing sparingly in his rookie season in 2024-25 and suffering the ACL tear in his second season, Furphy will miss time to begin his third year in the NBA. As the Pacers look to return to contention following a 19-63 season, there’s no guarantee that the Aussie will be a regular part of the rotation when he is healthy.

“I’m learning a lot,” Furphy said in his exit interview on April 12. “It’s going to be a long journey for sure, but I believe I’ll come out a lot stronger.”

How much time Furphy misses this year is to be determined, but the team appears satisfied with his recovery to this point. Furphy’s athleticism and versatility have intrigued the Pacers since they drafted him in 2024, and how well he recovers and progresses will say a lot about his future with the franchise.

Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

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