James Johnson Still A Free Agent, Pacers May Not Be Able To Fit Him In

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JUNE 19: James Johnson #16 of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Six of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Getty Images

WESTFIELD, Ind. – NBA veteran James Johnson is still a free agent as September approaches in the 2025 NBA offseason, and his future is still to be determined. The veteran forward, who last suited up for the Indiana Pacers, would like to keep playing and is still looking for his next opportunity.

“I haven’t made that decision to retire yet. I still want to play, help an organization, help bring culture,” Johnson, 38, said over the weekend while helping out at Tyrese Haliburton’s basketball camp on the North side of Indianapolis.

The 16-year veteran is the final Pacers free agent for this summer with major questions about his future. Myles Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, Isaiah Jackson stayed with the Pacers, and Thomas Bryant is reportedly close to a deal overseas with Panathinaikos.

That just leaves Johnson, who has been with the blue and gold for the last three seasons. He’s only appeared in 39 games during those years, averaging 1.7 points and 1.0 rebounds per game.

His primary value doesn’t come on the court, though. It comes behind the scenes. He’s been a terrific locker room presence and veteran for Indiana the last few years and has signed more than a half-dozen contracts as a result.

“He doesn’t let things slide,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said of Johnson a few years ago. “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.”

Those off-court abilities are the central reason Johnson has been with the Pacers since 2022. He has a strong bond with Haliburton, too, and calls him “franchise” – Johnson has a unique nickname for many of his teammates.

Could James Johnson return to the Indiana Pacers in free agency?

Right now, though, the Pacers have 15 players under contract – the maximum allowed during the regular season. More can be signed during the offseason, but the blue and gold have a clear group set for training camp with Johnson still a free agent.

“I just talked to James two days ago. He wants to keep playing.” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said last month on the Setting The Pace podcast. “He’s embraced his role and has been outstanding for our team the last couple of years. He’s like a family member to all of us.”

Clearly, the Pacers value what Johnson brings and would love to have those traits again. But it may not be possible this season, Buchanan shared.

“Whether there’s a roster spot for James… right now, it could be challenging to find a spot for James as much as we want him back,” the GM said. “It’s painful to think of our team without him moving forward, but it may be a reality just because of our roster situation right now too.”

Of Indiana’s 15 players with standard contracts, 14 of them have guaranteed money on their deal for the upcoming season. The lone exception is reserve center Tony Bradley, but he is expected to be in training camp for the blue and gold, especially as the team enters the season with two others centers under contract who are both coming off of a torn Achilles (James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson).

Waiving Bradley without seeing how healthy those two bigs are would be irresponsible. So while the Pacers could sign Johnson now, the reality is that he’d be, at best, in a training camp battle for a roster spot.

Johnson would welcome a return to the Pacers, of course. He flew back to Indianapolis just to help out at Haliburton’s camp despite not being under contract with the team. But he’s open to any playing opportunity that comes his way.

“Like I said, I want to play. I know [Buchanan] and (President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard) are one of the best at what they do in the NBA and in our organization. They’re going to make the decision they feel is best for the Pacers. I also have to do that for myself.”

Johnson has appeared in six playoff games for the Pacers across the last two seasons, including his first NBA Finals appearance back in June. He ultimately played in two games during the championship series and scored during Game 2.

Bryant, Johnson, and Turner are the three players who had standard contracts with the Pacers at the end the 2024-25 season that are not currently on the roster. Jay Huff (trade), Kam Jones (draft), and Wiseman (free agency) have filled those three spots as of late August.

It speaks volumes of Johnson’s character and care for his teammates that he showed up to Haliburton’s camp despite not currently having a deal with the Pacers. “We’ve been in the trenches together for three years… He’s inspiring, man. The way he works, the way he goes about his day-to-day life, he always holds himself to a high standard. You want to surround yourself with people like that,” Johnson said of Haliburton.

Jones, rookie wing Taelon Peter, T.J. McConnell, and multiple Pacers coaches and staffers were also at the camp. That is significant turnout, and Johnson shared that it’s all because of who Haliburton is. “He’s a great leader. I’m sure before this camp, he was already together with a lot of us and a lot of these guys. Helping them out, helping them learn the system,” Johnson said. “It’s great for these rookies to get around here early and participate in these camps and to really see a little bit of what he’s about.”

With Haliburton out for the season due to his own torn Achilles and two other players returning from the same devastating injury, the Pacers had to alter their team-building plans for 2025-26. It’s led to changes, and right now those changes have Johnson sitting in free agency as he looks for his next NBA destination, wherever it may be.