Veteran forward James Johnson is returning to the Indiana Pacers on a training camp deal, according to Jake Fischer.
Johnson previously spent three seasons with Indiana from 2022 through 2025, appearing in 39 games during that span. His most recent NBA season came in 2024-25, when he averaged 0.7 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 3.1 minutes over 12 games.
The 39-year-old has played 16 NBA seasons and has appeared in 786 regular-season games, including 243 starts. For his career, Johnson has averaged 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 19.8 minutes per game while shooting 47.3% from the field.
Johnson’s most productive stretch came during his four seasons with the Miami Heat from 2016-17 through 2019-20. He averaged 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists during that span, while also developing into a versatile forward capable of contributing across multiple areas.
His best individual season came in 2016-17, when Johnson averaged 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 76 games. He finished fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting that season.
Johnson has also played for the Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets during his long NBA career.
His return gives Indiana another experienced player for training camp as the franchise continues to reshape its roster around Tyrese Haliburton’s return from an Achilles injury.
The Pacers went 19-63 last season and spent the offseason adding depth. Indiana already acquired center Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline, while the summer additions included Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. The team also re-signed Kobe Brown and Jalen Slawson to two-way contracts and drafted Braden Smith with the No. 38 pick.
