Johnson Jr. signs 10-day contract after his release

PORTLAND — The Pacers announced Friday that they have signed veteran forward James Johnson Jr. to a 10-day contract after having to release him as part of the trade that brought them All-NBA wing Pascal Siakam.

Along with Pacers guard Bruce Brown Jr., forward Jordan Nwora and three draft picks, the Raptors also acquired guard Kira Lewis Jr. from the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the trade for Siakam. However, procedurally, the trade operated not as a threeway deal but as two separate trades. The Pacers acquired Lewis and a 2024 second-round pick from the Pelicans for cash considerations, then traded Lewis along with Brown, Nwora and their draft picks to Toronto. Lewis put the Pacers over the roster limit, so they had to cut Johnson. When the move was made, sources indicated that the Pacers intended to sign Johnson as soon as he cleared waivers, which they did.

This marks the fourth time in two seasons that the Pacers have signed Johnson. The 36-year-old, 15th-year veteran first signed with the Pacers in September of 2022. He was waived last February when the Pacers acquired Nwora, George Hill and Serge Ibaka from the Bucks as part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Suns. The Pacers immediately bought out Ibaka’s contract and signed Johnson for the rest of the season.

The Pacers did not re-sign him in the offseason but kept in touch and signed him again in December after meeting with him near his home in Miami when the Pacers played two road games in three days against the Heat. This signing marks the fourth.

Johnson has played limited minutes in his two seasons with Indiana, 162 minutes last season and 24 so far this year.