Pacers make massive mistake with final roster spot

Overall, this offseason has been a solid one for the Indiana Pacers. The team re-signed key players Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin, gave Andrew Nembhard a long-term contract extension, and drafted Johnny Furphy in the 2024 NBA Draft. Additionally, they signed center James Wiseman to a cheap two-year, $4.8 million contract.

The Pacers did lose some players this summer, most notably Jalen Smith to the Chicago Bulls, but the team looks just as good if not better than they did last season, even considering their Eastern Conference Finals appearance.

However, despite what should generally be considered a good offseason, Pacers GM Chad Buchanan did make one questionable roster move that could prove to be a mistake--re-sign veteran forward James Johnson.

The Pacers re-signed Johnson to a one-year, $3.3 million contract earlier this week. Johnson has spent parts of the last two seasons with the Pacers, averaging 7.7 minutes in 27 games during his stint.

While having a veteran like Johnson on the team is never a bad thing, especially for a team as young as the Pacers, he will likely not crack the rotation and will only play spotty minutes in blowout games at the most.

Johnson will turn 38 years old next February. He has developed a reputation as an enforcer and a good locker room presence. Still, it is fair to think the Pacers wasted a spot by using their last available roster opening on him, especially when the team could have taken a flyer on other players who could provide more value on the court.

However, this does not mean the team made a mistake by keeping him in the organization.

The Pacers should have hired James Johnson as an assistant coach

Instead of bringing him back as a player to take up a roster spot, the Pacers should have offered Johnson a role as an assistant coach. Of course, this is a two-way street and Johnson is not retired yet. However, at this stage in his career, Johnson is unlikely to make any type of impact on the court for the rest of his career.

Johnson has been in the league since 2009 and has played alongside many great NBA players. This includes Derrick Rose during his MVP season, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Doncic, to name a few.

His NBA experience is valuable to a team like the Pacers, and the team should keep him on after his playing career to continue making an impact off the court.