Pacers bring back James Johnson on 10-day deal

UPDATE: This has been confirmed by the team.

The Indiana Pacers landed star forward Pascal Siakam in a big trade with the Toronto Raptors, sending off guard Bruce Brown, small forward Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks.

Along the way, Indiana had to create some roster space, waiving veteran forward James Johnson. But per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star, the Pacers plan to bring back Johnson after he clears waivers (48 hours after being released). He will sign a 10-day contract, the team confirmed.

The New Orleans Pelicans helped push the deal forward by sending guard Kira Lewis Jr. to the Raptors and a second-round pick to the Pacers.

“Procedurally, the Pacers had to acquire Lewis on paper first before dealing him to Toronto. To do so, they had to clear a roster spot, and they waived veteran forward James Johnson, making that move official Wednesday evening,” Dopirak wrote. “However the Pacers, who have indicated on multiple occasions how much they value his veteran presence, intend to re-sign him if he clears waivers, according to a league source.”

Johnson, 36, is 6-foot-7 and has only appeared in five games with the Pacers this season. But as Dopirak relayed, Indiana values his presence in the locker room and on the sideline.

As for Siakam, well, it’s understandable why the Pacers would be excited.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Pascal to Indiana,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a release. “As a two-time All-NBA selection and two-time NBA All-Star, Pascal is a player that our organization has long admired and respected. We feel that his unique offensive skillset will complement our style of play, while his defensive versatility will be a valuable asset to our team.”

Updated today's news story on Siakam to include the Pritchard press release quote now that it's official: https://t.co/uSvR4iblYQ

— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) January 18, 2024