When the Indiana Pacers signed Larry Nance Jr., it seemed like a strange move to prioritize so early in the offseason. Nance had been bad in his second stint in a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and hadn't shown much of anything since he was an energy bunny off the bench after being traded to the Atlanta Hawks as part of the DeJounte Murray trade.
Much of the justification came down to the idea of veteran leadership. Nance had been on a Finals team alongside LeBron James back in the 2018 season and has been lauded in past years as one of the nicest, most intelligent guys around.
That sounds like the ideal end-of-the-bench player. He motivates, he communicates, and he takes younger players under his wing.
However, the issue is that the value Nance brings to the court is minimal. It's fitting that he is on a minimum contract, as that's the only deal he could possibly outplay.
If the focus of that move within the first week of free agency was to add a player who provides no real contributions to the on-court product but is beloved in the lockerroom, there was already a better option available.
The Pacers need an enforcer. They need a face that is kind to Indiana's players and antagonistic to its opponents. They need someone who will fight if needed, but will always be there for his younger ensignees.
They need a big brother figure.
If that was the focus from the jump, why didn't the Pacers just bring back James Johnson?
JJ, come home. We miss you
The 39-year-old forward is still sitting at home after going unsigned after the 2024-25 season. His role as a vocal leader and beloved figure in the locker room fell out of favor as the Pacers looked to foist those responsibilities on the team's two best players, Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton.
That plan could've worked out, and truthfully might have already done so, but the absence of Haliburton as he rehabbed the Achilles tear he suffered in Game 7 of the 2024-25 NBA Finals and the Pacers collapse into a self-named gap-year meant that leadership rang hollow.
Nance is the next veteran to be brought in as a guiding figure. The question isn't of whether he can play this role – he clearly can – but instead of why the Pacers are risking a mistake something so easy to pull off.
Johnson has not changed as an orator or whatever the basketball equivalent of a hockey goon would be. The skills he needs to lead do not depreciate with athleticism.
Not only was it an easy choice, but it would also be a fun storyline. Johnson ended up in Indiana as a free agent specifically because he was intent on being a guiding force for a team with a wonderfully fun young core.
When the team made the Finals, it was a summit, a success story of Johnson doing exactly what he had promised to in guiding Indiana's roster from upstarts to professionals.
Not offering him the chance to reprise his role again was and is a mistake.
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