Free agent forward James Johnson has agreed to sign a non-guaranteed training camp contract with the Pacers, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

The deal will include Exhibit 9 language, according to Tony East of Circle City Spin (Twitter link), who says the 39-year-old was in Nashville with the Pacers for their players-only mini-camp and will be in training camp with the team next week.

Known for his physicality and toughness, Johnson accumulated 16 years of NBA service while playing for 10 teams from 2009-25. The 16th overall pick in 2009, he holds career averages of 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 19.8 minutes per game over the course of 786 regular season outings.

Since 2022, Johnson has primarily been a valued locker-room presence and little-used reserve for the Pacers. He made just 39 total regular season appearances from 2022-25, logging 246 minutes of playing time during that stretch, and saw action in five contests during the team’s run to the NBA Finals in the spring of 2025.

As East notes, Johnson said last summer that he didn’t intend to retire, but the Pacers didn’t have a spot on their roster for him last season, so he has been out of the league since his previous contract expired on June 30, 2025.

Indiana currently has just $2.2MM in breathing room below its first-apron hard cap, with 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts. A minimum-salary contract for a free agent carries a cap hit of $2.45MM, so unless the club makes a trade to shed salary, there’s not enough room to retain Johnson on the opening night roster.

However, the Pacers will be able to add a 15th man on a prorated veteran’s minimum deal as of November 5, so it’s possible Johnson could return at that point or later in the season. That’d be nothing new for him — during the 2023/24 season, he signed four separate contracts with Indiana between December and February, including a non-guaranteed deal, two 10-day contracts, and, eventually, a rest-of-season pact.