3 Former Pacers Who Could Return to Indiana This Season

After the Indiana Pacers waived Ethan Thompson and signed Braden Smith to a two-way deal, it left them one open roster spot on their 15-man roster.

There are a handful of players that are still on the open market that Indiana could look at bringing in, but they would have to wait till around the middle of November to sign them on a veteran's minimum salary.

Contracts are pro-rated throughout the season, making the total cost of adding a player come down. This would allow for guys with two years of experience (or more) to be signed by Indiana and fit into their minimal salary cap space.

Remember, when a player signs to a veteran's minimum contract, the team only has to pay a partial amount of the salary. Indiana signed Larry Nance Jr. to a veteran's minimum contract earlier this offseason for $3.9 million. However, only $2.4 million counts against the Pacers' salary cap, and the league pays the remainder.

$2.4 million is the cost of paying a player with two years of NBA experience to a veteran's minimum contract. And to avoid team's prioritizing younger players over paying veteran players, the league put in this rule so that veteran's would be able to stick in the league longer. It's a great tool to utilize and the Pacers could do so with their final roster spot.

With Indiana having a full rotation already, adding a fifteenth player would strictly be for depth purposes. Here are three players that were formerly with the team that I can see making a return for the blue and gold.

1. Tony Bradley

Nov 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers center Tony Bradley (13) works against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Pacers signed Bradley to their bench at the end of the 2024-25 season nobody expected that he would stick with the team through the playoffs and end up playing a pivotal role in the NBA Finals.

He is a sturdy big man who is a solid interior presence and has a high basketball IQ. Being able to match his minutes with Hartenstein helped Indiana with their rebounding shortcomings and his defense was steady.

Indiana waived Bradley last season before his contract became fully guaranteed but then re-signed him on a 10-day contract. He would end up staying with the team for a second 10-day contract before he was ultimately waived.

The team and coaching staff values his skill set and he is a great locker room fit. He would serve as a depth piece to the center room of Zubac, Huff, and Nance, providing a much needed interior physical presence outside of Zubac, and by knowing the team''s system it makes for a seamless fit.

2. James Johnson

Mar 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Indiana Pacers forward James Johnson (16) looks on after the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Johnson joined the Pacers in the 2022-23 season and would remain with the team until 2025. After Indiana lost the NBA Finals, Johnson's contract had expired and the Pacers did not have the roster spots available to add Johnson back for a fourth consecutive year.

This was heartbreaking to hear for several fans because he was the beloved enforcer who served in more of a player-coach role. He was not expected to log minutes and be in the rotation, but he was a terrific locker room leader and helped communicate things to players that he saw on the court.

we know what happened last game. here is the first skirmish between beef stew and james johnson that resulted in the first set of Ts. wont be translating what he said walking away but easy to figure out. pic.twitter.com/xFFKWJP43f
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 30, 2025

Often times when things got chippy between a Pacers opponent, you'd see Johnson jawing with a guy on the court. This was simply Johnson defending his teammates and letting opposing players know that they're not going to bully Indiana's guys.

Johnson holds a second-degree black belt in karate and is 20-0 inb kickboxing competitions. Nobody wants to mess with him.

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.

Adding Johnson back on a non-guaranteed contract would be a fantastic move for the blue and gold.

3. Victor Oladipo

The 2017-18 Most Improved Player of the Year is desperate to get back into the NBA and has had held solo workouts during the last two offseasons for teams interested. While there is no record of the Pacers being at the most recent workout in 2026, general manager Chad Buchanan revealed on Setting the Pace that the team was present for the one in 2025.

This is enough of a reason to believe that they are somewhat still enamoured with their former All-Star whose time in Indiana ended on a sour note.

The Pacers are deepest at the shooting guard/small forward spot so bringing him back would not result in playing time. However, his skill set would be a welcomed addition for a team that needs three-point shooting and guys who can score in isolation.

Things ended poorly in Indiana before he was traded to the Rockets for Caris LeVert in a three-team deal that was centered around James Harden going to Brooklyn. Victor Oladipo's 2017-18 season might be one of the best individual seasons we've seen from a Pacer in the last 15 years and if he hadn't suffered the torn quad tendon against the Raptors the following season, who knows how his Pacers career would have went.

The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft played for the Indiana Hoosiers and there are still a ton of fans who wished things ended on a better note. Bringing him back would be a terrific story and something fun for fans to root for.

Honorable Mention: Lance Stephenson

While there is a zero percent chance of this happening, seeing Lance Stephenson come back to the Pacers would be electric for so many fans who hold him near and dear to their hearts.

Born Ready loves the Indiana fan base and said that his home return to the team just a few years ago felt like Michael Jordan returning in 1995.

Nobody puts on a show like Sir Lancelot, and this would be strictly for entertainment purposes and not for on-court help.

Lance is playing in the Big 3 for the Miami 305 and won the championship last season with Michael Beasley. It's the perfect thing for him to do now in his career and his hopes of returning to the NBA are all bet dead.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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