AJ Johnson’s career has already turned into a moving target, and that’s exactly why he’s the kind of buy-low swing the Indiana Pacers could consider.
The 20-year-old has been traded four times in two years, bounced from place to place, and kept showing enough flashes to make you think something was there - only to watch the opportunity vanish almost immediately. That kind of instability can bury a young player before he ever gets a real runway. Johnson has spent most of his short NBA life trying to prove he belongs, and he still hasn’t found the security or minutes to show the full package that once made him a first-round pick.
That’s the appeal. If the Pacers are looking for a low-cost flyer who might grow into an impact piece, Johnson fits the bill.
After being dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans, he can be moved on his own right away because he cannot be aggregated with other contracts. And with New Orleans needing a better center option next to Zion Williamson and Derik Queen, a straight swap of Jay Huff for Johnson would work.
For Indiana, that kind of deal would be a bet on upside without giving up much of anything they were likely to use heavily anyway.
Johnson’s path has been rocky from the start. Milwaukee drafted him as a project, a player loaded with tools but light on polish. He barely had a role under Doc Rivers before being included in the trade that sent Khris Middleton to Washington in exchange for Kyle Kuzma.
His time with the Wizards looked like the breakthrough. Johnson carved out a role in a bench group that was supposed to be a disaster and ended up being merely bad and fun. He flashed as a lob threat in transition, showed some shooting touch, and generally looked like a young wing starting to figure out where he fit.
That stretch is the case for believing in him. For a moment, he was productive, useful, and clearly trending in the right direction.
Then it all came apart.
Right after those 20 games, Washington added Tre Johnson and Will Riley, elevated Kyshawn George, and brought in more wings and forwards. Johnson’s role evaporated.
He slipped out of the rotation, got shipped to Dallas, then Memphis, and now New Orleans. By the time he was in a Mavericks jersey, the once-smiling teenage prospect had gone quiet and couldn’t earn a real chance before the season ended.
Still, the talent hasn’t disappeared. His impact numbers may be part of why teams have hesitated, but that has to be weighed against the fact that he has only played on terrible teams. On-off numbers from those environments are going to look ugly.
The Pacers, meanwhile, don’t have a ton of assets to chase a major move. If they want to get younger and better, the second-draft route may be the most realistic way forward. Johnson is exactly the sort of player who can fit that idea: a reclamation project with enough upside to matter if the right team gives him a real shot.
There’s no reason AJ Johnson can’t be part of that.
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Kawhi Leonard Keeps Reshaping The Pacers In A Way Fans Missed
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Leonards exit from Toronto in 2019 and the ripple effects tied to the Clippers eventually helped shape the kind of roster Indiana could build, too. Through a series of moves that played out long after that draft-night deal, the Pacers ended up with Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac in the mix, pieces that now matter to the look and feel of their starting frontcourt even if the original Kawhi connection has stayed mostly in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Face A Veteran Leadership Debate At The Worst Time
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Still, the conversation around leadership in Indiana has not gone away, especially with James Johnson still unsigned. Johnson was a former Pacers voice the room clearly understood, and the contrast has sharpened the debate over whether the team prioritized the right kind of veteran presence at the right time. With so much already changing around the roster, the Pacers are left sorting out not just who can play, but who can help hold everything together. [Read more 🡒]
Johnny Furphy Could Force His Way Into Indianas Bench Plans
Johnny Furphy arrived in the league with the sort of draft profile that usually calls for patience, but the Pacers may not have the luxury to wait long if he keeps trending the right way. A second-round pick with 85 career games already on his rsum, Furphy has also had to work back from an ACL injury, yet his appeal in Indiana goes beyond simple development. The Pacers have spent plenty of time looking for the right kind of depth, and Furphys defense gives him a path to matter sooner rather than later.
What makes his case more interesting is how neatly he could fit into the kind of small-ball groups Indiana likes to explore with Pascal Siakam. Furphy does not need to be a high-usage player to help, and that matters on a roster where bench roles can shift quickly depending on matchup and health. If his defensive tools hold up, he could push his way into the conversation as more than just another young wing on the fringe of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]