INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JUNE 19: James Johnson of Pacers warms up before the NBA Finals game 6 between Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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INDIANAPOLIS – Veteran James Johnson is signing a contract with the Indiana Pacers that will bring the forward into training camp, which begins later this month.
Johnson, a beloved vet with the organization, spent three seasons with Indiana from 2022 through 2026. While he only played in 39 regular season games across those campaigns, Johnson provided value behind the scenes and became a popular locker room figure.
“He just has great wisdom in the locker room. He has great respect from all the guys,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle previously said of Johnson. “He has a very good way of communicating to guys, particularly in the heat of the moment in games.”
Johnson has signed a half-dozen contracts with the Pacers across the last four seasons. Between a combination of non-guaranteed deals, 10-day agreements, and standard deals, Johnson has been somewhat of a priority for the Pacers even when not playing much. He averaged just 1.4 points and 0.4 assists per game in his last full season with the franchise.
Yet his behind the scenes value is immense. After the Pacers lost in the 2025 NBA Finals, for example, forward Obi Toppin flew down to Miami to spend months with the 39-year old. They trained together almost every day, which included more than just basketball. They got in some boxing, among other activities.
Last year, Johnson still hovered around the team despite never signing a contract. He was at Tyrese Haliburton’s basketball cap in August of 2025 while not formally being on the Pacers roster, a testament to the impact Haliburton and Johnson have on each other. Johnson has many nicknames for teammates – for Haliburton, it’s “franchise.”
“I haven’t made that decision to retire yet. I still want to play, help an organization, help bring culture,” Johnson said last summer. He didn’t end up signing a contract during the 2025-26 season.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JANUARY 29: James Johnson #16 of the Indiana Pacers reacts against the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on January 29, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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Now, he’s coming back to the NBA. The Pacers presently have 14 players on standard contracts, plus two others signed to Exhibit 10 deals and three two-way contracts. That puts them at 19 players, under the offseason maximum of 21.
“ I want to play,” Johnson said in 2025.
What James Johnson’s return mean for the Pacers roster
Last week, several Pacers players travelled to Nashville, Tennessee for a player-led mini camp before training camp starts. Johnson was with the team in Nashville, the first sign he may be around when the season gets going at the end of September.
Johnson’s contract will be a training camp deal with an Exhibit 9 clause. Such contracts provide cover for a team – in this case, the Pacers – if a player is to suffer a serious injury during training camp. Exhibit 9 pacts are non-guaranteed minimum contracts that don’t count against the salary cap until the season starts. If Johnson does get injured during camp, he will get $15k thanks to the Exhibit 9 language. But the Pacers won’t be on the hook for his entire contract.
The Pacers salary cap situation is a major part of this story. They are hard capped at the first salary cap apron, and their total team spending level is just $2.235 million below that apron. Johnson’s minimum salary for the coming season is $2.449 million, so Indiana cannot afford to keep Johnson after training camp without making a cost-cutting trade.
However, because minimum contracts prorate every day of the regular season, the Pacers would be able to afford a contract for Johnson starting in early November. If they are interested in signing the forward once the season begins, they would be able to do so starting on November 5.
The Golden State Warriors ran into a similar issue with guard Seth Curry last year. They waived Curry after training camp, then re-signed him on December 1 for the rest of the campaign.
“He doesn’t let things slide,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said of Johnson. “Usually, there are guys that let things go. But I feel like he feels like he owes it to us that we’re not going to create any bad habits here.”
Training camp begins early next week for the Pacers, and many members of the roster are already in Indianapolis getting ready for the action. Johnson will be a part of the team’s preparations for the season, one that comes with expectations and hope after an injury-filled 2025-26 campaign.
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