Hmmmm. Pacers bring back James Johnson, signing him to one-year deal
/WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A night after a dispute over a game ball with the Bucks led to a confrontation in the tunnel leading to their locker room, the Pacers brought back a player to their roster who no one in the NBA wants to mess with.
A league source confirmed to the IndyStar that forward James Johnson is returning to the Pacers, signing a one-year deal. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN originally reported the signing.
The 36-year-old Johnson played with the Pacers last year and appeared in just 18 games, averaging 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per game. However, his teammates raved about his contributions to the clubhouse as a respected veteran with experience with 10 different franchises. Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton was particularly outspoken in noting how much he learned from Johnson about how to invest in his teammates. The Pacers had to release Johnson last February to clear roster space to take on Jordan Nwora, George Hill and Serge Ibaka in a trade with the Bucks, but they immediately waived Ibaka and brought back Johnson.
One of the ways Johnson endeared himself to Haliburton was by telling the All-Star point guard immediately after he was acquired that he would always have his back. That matters, because Johnson is apparently the most effective deterrent in the league. The Athletic did an anonymous player survey last season and one of the questions was which player they would least like to fight. Johnson was the player most frequently mentioned, earning 41.1% of the vote. Grizzlies center Steven Adams was the only other player who got more than 5% at 27.8%.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers bring back James Johnson on one-year deal
