INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers brought back a veteran presence and signed a pair of players to two-way contracts.
James Johnson, a longtime NBA veteran and essential bench presence, agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.3 million, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 37-year-old appeared in just a handful of games during the past season, but the team values his toughness and veteran leadership.
The Pacers brought Johnson back to the franchise in December 2023, after a dustup with the Milwaukee Bucks that included a scuffle over game balls. The team said his acquisition was in the works before the incident took place.
Johnson has a reputation as one of the league’s toughest players; an anonymous survey found 41.1% of players mentioned him as the player they would least like to fight.
The Chicago Bulls drafted Johnson in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft. The Wake Forest product has been with multiple teams; the Pacers originally signed him in 2022.
Jackson, Newton get two-way deals
The team also signed two-way contracts with guard Quenton Jackson and Tristen Newton.
Jackson spent most of last season with the Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate. He appeared in three games with the Pacers, scoring two points on a pair of free throws.
He played in nine games with the Mad Ants, averaging 22.3 points and 5.4 assists per game. During the NBA Summer League, he averaged 11 points and 4.2 assists over five games.
The Pacers selected Newton in the second round of the recent NBA Draft. The UConn and East Carolina standout was the 49th overall pick.
A consensus first-team All-American, Newton started at point guard for the Huskies’ back-to-back national championship teams.