gary bedore
·4 min read
ESPN.com’s latest NBA mock draft, released two days after Wednesday’s passing of the early-entry withdrawal deadline, lists former Kansas guard Johnny Furphy as a candidate to receive an invitation to sit in the prestigious green room on June 26 in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo predict Furphy will be selected by the Orlando Magic with the 18th pick of the first round of the 2024 Draft. Green Room invitations usually are offered to likely lottery picks (Nos. 1-14) as well as likely first-round selections.
Furphy at this time is expected to be the first of two Jayhawks to be taken in the draft, which this year extends to two evenings: the 26th and 27th.
ESPN.com has former KU guard Kevin McCullar the final pick of Round 1 to the Boston Celtics. That’s possible green-room territory if the San Antonio native can maintain or improve on that spot following one-on-one workouts with teams the next couple weeks.
ESPN.com has Zaccharie Risacher of France as the No. 1 overall pick to Atlanta followed by Alex Sarr (Washington), Reed Sheppard (Houston), Stephon Castle (San Antonio), Matas Buzelis (Detroit), Rob Dillingham (Charlotte), Donovan Clingan (Portland), Tidjane Salaun (San Antonio), Dalton Knecht (Memphis) and Nikola Topic (Utah) in the top 10.
Others ahead of Furphy, starting at No. 11, are Ron Holland (Chicago), Devin Carter (Oklahoma City), Ja’Kobe Walter (Sacramento), Cody Williams (Portland), Zach Edey (Miami), Jared McCain (Philadelphia) and Tristan Da Silva (Los Angeles Lakers).
ESPN.com’s Woo and Givony note that Sacramento could take Furphy at No. 13 overall, in the lucrative lottery.
“Furphy’s decision to turn pro went down to the wire Wednesday as he weighed a return to Kansas but ultimately felt comfortable enough with his prospect status to remain in the 2024 draft,” wrote analyst Woo of ESPN.com. “Furphy has been a bit divisive from team to team, with some scouts highly intrigued by his shooting, size and physical skills at his age, and others concerned with his defense and the fact it might take him some time to contribute.
“This is a situation that should bear out in the coming weeks, as Furphy schedules additional workouts with teams drafting in the first round.”
Of McCullar, Woo wrote: “Boston is working out a wide range of prospects for this pick at No. 30 as it weighs an addition to a championship-caliber roster. They have depth across positions, but perimeter depth behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could be an area to target. Late-season injuries put a bit of a damper on McCullar’s season at Kansas, but a strong first month helped reframe his NBA readiness and moved him from two-way contract candidate into what will likely be guaranteed money on draft night.”
ON3.com’s James Fletcher issued a mock draft after Wednesday’s withdrawal deadline. McCullar was projected to be taken by the Knicks with the 25th overall pick. Furphy was listed as the 27th overall pick of Round 1 to Minnesota.
SI.com’s latest mock draft released after Wednesday’s deadline had Furphy the third pick of Round 2 to Milwaukee and McCullar the fourth pick of Round 2 to Portland.
Bleacher Reports’s post-deadline mock draft had Furphy being taken at No. 29 overall by the Utah Jazz and McCullar at No. 35 by San Antonio. In all there are 30 picks in Round 1 and 28 in Round 2.
Of Furphy, Bleacher Report analyst Jonathan Wasserman wrote: “Johnny Furphy’s fairly simplistic and translatable combination of positional size, shooting and play-finishing could be enough for a team in the 20s. But his athletic test results were disappointing at the combine, and a 189-pound frame at his size suggests he’s at least a year from being physically ready for NBA minutes.”
Of McCullar, Wasserman wrote: “Kevin McCullar continues to sit with a knee injury that kept him out of the NCAA Tournament. He skipped drills, athletic testing and scrimmages at the combine, though it was unlikely scouts would learn anything new about the 23-year-old who attended the same event last year. The Jayhawks ultimately looked like a different team without him, which speaks to his impact and wide-ranging contributions getting Kansas into offense, finishing plays, making shots and defending opponents’ top wings. Scouts buy his versatility and defense for a supporting NBA role, though he’ll have to avoid any medical-report concerns.”
