As it stands, the Indiana Pacers are not expected to re-sign veteran forward James Johnson, and that could be a big mistake as the team is in more need of an extra veteran presence now more than ever.
With Tyrese Haliburton out for next year and Myles Turner having signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers are already short some real leaders and voices in the locker room. Furthermore, now that it looks like Johnson is on his way out as well, the Pacers' locker room is taking a big hit.
On the court, Johnson does not provide much value, if any at all. He has appeared in 39 games over his last three seasons, and even when he sees the court, he does not do much at this stage in his career. However, the Pacers never needed the Wyoming native to contribute on the court. Instead, they needed him to be a trusted veteran behind the scenes, which he was.
Recently, Michael Facci of the Setting The Pace podcast noted that losing Johnson this offseason, while probably the right call given their roster situation, is "bad timing" as the Pacers desperately need another veteran presence ahead of what many are calling a "gap year."
"You just lost two of your good voices in this locker room, your most tenured player and your franchise player...it's bad timing, you probably would've wanted James Johnson on this roster to keep the morale just a little bit higher, keep players in check, but given the situation, I think you're a little bit strapped for roster spots, and it's just a little bit unfortunate right now," Facci said.
The door is not completely closed on another Johnson-Pacers reunion as he wants to continue his playing career, but it seems unlikely, regardless. Nonetheless, with or without the 38-year-old, Indiana will have a lot to prove next season as they continue to be counted out.
The Pacers have a strange season ahead of them
Despite being just one win (and maybe even one half) away from winning it all last season, the Pacers' outlook for next year looks much more bleak. They will be without their star guard for the entire campaign, and they will also have to figure out what is next for their center problems. Additionally, they will look completely different next season, and the team will likely go through their ups and downs as they navigate the major shift.
While most are counting the Pacers out, the team has shown no indication that they will tank next season. Instead, they will look to remain competitive, even if it is unlikely that they will go on another deep playoff run. For the team to make this happen, however, they need the entire team to step up.
A lot of eyes will be on players like Pascal Siakam (who is going to be even more important as a veteran leader as well), Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin to make a bigger impact in the starting lineup. If Indiana wants to be successful next season, all of these guys will have to bring their A-games.
The Pacers are not in an ideal situation heading into next season, but there is still a lot to look forward to as they have a unique opportunity to experiment a bit and see what works and what doesn't for when Haliburton returns. What they make of it, however, remains to be seen.