Kansas basketball guard Johnny Furphy firmly established himself as a rising star this season, earning Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention status. However, the Australian international now has a decision to make following the Jayhawks' 89-68 loss to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Furphy must now choose between three different paths: declaring for the NBA Draft, entering the transfer portal or staying at Kansas for a second season. There are legitimate arguments for each option being the best move for his career, and it won't be an easy decision to make.

Should Johnny Furphy leave or stay with Kansas basketball?

Kansas Jayhawks guard Johnny Furphy (10) shoots against Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) during the second half in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena-Delta Center.
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Furphy remains undecided at this time. The projected first-round draft pick spoke to the Kansas City Star about his impending decision shortly after the Gonzaga loss.

“I haven’t given it any thought,” Furphy said, via Shreyas Laddha. “I haven’t really thought about it in detail yet, but I’ve got a lot to improve upon.”
Furphy's assessment is both admirably humble and accurate. While he went on an impressive run to eventually land himself a starting spot, he struggled when the lights got brighter. The 6-foot-9 fan-favorite only recorded one double-digit scoring game in March, and shot just 3-of-12 in the loss to the Bulldogs. He finished the year averaging nine points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.
RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Rylan Griffen in a Kansas Jayhawks jersey alongside Bill Self with the Kansas logo in the background, transfer portal

David Yapkowitz ·

Hunter Dickinson, Hunter Dickinson Kansas, Bill Self, Kansas basketball, Jayhawks, Hunter Dickinson and Bill Self with Kansas basketball arena in the background

Scotty White ·

cG9zdDoyODEzNTc3-thumbnail

Scotty White ·

Furphy fell down mock draft boards following the cold spell. After originally being projected as a lottery pick, the NBA Global Academy alum is now expected to be taken at the end of the first round. He could either decide to declare now anyway, or take another year to develop and get back to that lottery status. There's no wrong decision, necessarily.
As for potentially transferring from Kansas basketball, one main reason that many players have been switching schools is NIL money. However, the NCAA doesn't technically allow foreign players to receive NIL deals. A fan asked Laddha on Twitter if this would be a major factor in the decision.

“Schools are finding a way around that,” Laddha said. “A source confirmed that Furphy still receives NIL; he just can’t receive it in the United States. So the way around it is events on international soil or times when Furphy is back home. I think it’s certainly a factor, but NIL money doesn’t compare to the money received by making the NBA Draft.”

With Furphy already playing for a historically elite Kansas program, it wouldn't make as much sense to transfer in his case. If he's going to leave, he might as well take the NBA-sized check. However, if he took a big step forward in his sophomore season, his salary as a potential lottery pick would be even higher.

Even if he does leave after just one season, he gained valuable perspective after experiencing several ups and downs.

“It was a roller coaster — I enjoyed it a lot, and it went by really quickly,” Furphy mentioned in the interview. “I love my teammates. I’m so proud of everyone.”

With the NBA season being more than twice as long as the NCAA's, this is just the tip of the iceberg compared to what Furphy will experience at the next level. While he has the upside to excel in the pros, it wouldn't hurt to continue his development with Kansas, either. The only risk of returning for his sophomore season, of course, is suffering a major injury or massive decline in performance.