The Indiana Pacers have an open roster spot after waiving Ethan Thompson and signing rookie point guard Braden Smith to a two-way contract, and that has opened the door to a familiar name making his way back into the conversation.
James Johnson is the player being floated as a possible reunion. The Pacers have not re-signed him since his previous stint, but the idea has been raised that Indiana could benefit from bringing him back for what he offers beyond the box score.
Kevin Pritchard and the front office are always on the lookout for players who can help the Pacers win, but there are not many obvious openings on the current roster for someone to carve out playing time. Even so, the team could use more veteran leadership, and Johnson fits that description as well as anyone.
That possibility was suggested by Sports Illustrated’s Alex Golden, who pointed to Johnson’s relationship with the locker room and especially with Tyrese Haliburton.
"Lastly, his teammates adore him and he was just a groomsmen at Tyrese Haliburton's wedding. The face of the franchise has a special relationship with the veteran forward --who just won the rookie of the year award in the Big 3-- and would love to have him back in the locker room on a daily basis," Golden wrote.
"Adding Johnson back on a non-guaranteed contract would be a fantastic move for the blue and gold."
Johnson’s value in Indiana came from the kind of presence that doesn’t show up in a clean stat line. He was a steady leader during the Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals, the kind of teammate who backed up and shielded his guys. If the Pacers want that sort of enforcer in the room again, he would make sense as a candidate.
At 39, Johnson would not be coming in with expectations of playing heavy minutes. That was never really the point before, either. He accepted a deep bench role with Indiana and handled it well, which is exactly why he remains a name worth considering.
Over the course of his NBA career, Johnson has appeared in 786 games and made 243 starts. He owns career averages of 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and two assists per game.
He has also built the resume of a true league traveler, spending time with the Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets, and the Pacers.
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