Earlier this month, the Indiana Pacers brought back forward James Johnson on a one-year agreement.
The Pacers had an open roster spot after they moved on from center Daniel Theis via a contract buyout earlier in the campaign. Filling the opening with a veteran on a non-guaranteed contract was something that made sense at the time, and that’s what ended up happening with Johnson. The 36-year old is with the Pacers on a minimum contract with no guaranteed money that expires at the end of the ongoing season.
“We had thought about it really since the exit meetings last year,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of bringing in Johnson. The veteran forward played for the blue and gold during the 2022-23 campaign, where he appeared in 18 games. Most of his value came in the locker room as a veteran.
Indiana would have liked to bring back Johnson earlier in the season, but they had too many guaranteed contracts during training camp. It didn’t make sense. The team stayed in contact with him, though, and told him to stay in shape in case they needed him. After a lunch meeting in Miami early in December, they determined that bringing him back was the right move.
“It opened up an opportunity to bring a really valuable veteran mentor back,” Carlisle said of the Theis move that led to the Johnson signing.
Johnson, who has 15 years of experience in the NBA, has been praised by just about every player on the Pacers roster for his leadership abilities. He’s seen a lot in the league and is tough, so his teammates know that he has their back.
He is good at connecting with people and forming bonds, which has been valuable for a younger Pacers team. There is a reason that Indiana was excited about having Johnson return despite him being less effective on the floor at his age.
Leave a Reply