James Johnson back with Indiana Pacers on 10-day contract
The Indiana Pacers announced on Friday that they have signed forward James Johnson to a 10-day contract.
Johnson was originally signed by Indiana on December 15. He inked a one-year minimum contract with the team that became fully guaranteed just under two weeks ago. The franchise likes the veteran leadership he provides and wanted to get him back in the locker room.
The 36-year old forward spent the 2022-23 season with the blue and gold and has played in five games during the ongoing season. He is averaging 0.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.
"That presence he had in the locker room. He was pretty much like the big brother to everybody," Pacers center Jalen Smith said of Johnson's contributions last season.
The veteran forward was waived earlier this week by Indiana. They needed to free up a roster spot in order to bring in Kira Lewis Jr, which was an important factor in eventually completing a trade for Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.
The waiver period for Johnson ended on Friday, and he was free to sign with any team. But the hope all along was for him to return to Indiana. "I don't think I would have went back for any other call other than the Pacers," he said when he originally signed back on with the franchise.
Johnson is now on a 10-day deal that will last through January 28. On the 29th, he will be a free agent again. He could sign another 10-day deal at that point, but any player is only permitted to sign two 10-day contracts with a franchise during one season.
Should Johnson sign a second 10-day deal at that time, it would end on February 7. The trade deadline is February 8, so juggling Johnson through these shorter deals helps the Pacers with flexibility. His current deal can be waived easily — a contract for the rest of the season would come with a bigger salary number.
The 10-day deal for Johnson will carry a cap hit of about $116k for the Pacers. They now have 14 players under contract. Johnson was courtside for Indiana's game in Sacramento on Thursday and is with his teammates in Portland now.
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