The Pacers added three players in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, acquiring Kansas guard Johnny Furphy and drafting UConn guard Tristen Newton and Akron forward Enrique Freeman.
Johnny Furphy
Indiana agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to Furphy, the 35th overall pick, from the San Antonio Spurs in a trade that is not yet final. Furphy — a native of Melbourne, Australia — turned pro after one year at the University of Kansas.
A 6-8 forward, the 19-year-old Furphy was an Big 12 All-Freshman team selection in 2023-24, averaging 9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from 3-point range.
Tristen Newton
Indiana took Newton with the 49th overall pick. The 6-3 guard spent three seasons at East Carolina before transferring to UConn, where he helped lead the Huskies to back-to-back national titles. Newton averaged 15.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 2023-24.
He was the Big East Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American, and the Most Outstanding Player at the 2024 Final Four. He led the best team in the country in scoring and assists and was second on the team in rebounding. He won the Bob Cousy Award as the best point guard in the country. Newton recorded four triple-doubles over the last two years.
Newton worked out for Indiana on June 18 and said he hoped his all-around game would appeal to teams in the draft.
“I can contribute to the game in so many ways,” he said. “It’s not just one thing I can do, it’s not just like I have to go out there and score. I can play defense, I can get assists, rebounds, steals, I can do pretty much everything on the court. So I feel like being versatile and not one-dimensional will help me a lot.”
Enrique Freeman
Freeman, the 50th overall pick, spent five years at the University of Akron, where he began his career as a walk-on and ended as the MAC Player of the Year. The 6-7 big man averaged 18.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks while shooting 58.4 percent from the field in 2023-24.
Freeman left Akron as the school’s all-time leading rebounder (1,405 career boards) and also ranks second in blocked shots (188), and third in scoring (1,843 points).
Originally posted on pacers.com