The Indiana Pacers are coming off one of their most successful seasons in recent history. They made the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-2020 season and made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. NBA free agency is largely in the dust now at this point in the offseason, but the Pacers can still add quality veterans to their roster in the coming months.
The NBA free agency money is largely dried up now with minimum contracts the only thing available right now in the offseason but that's all the Pacers need to fill out the end of the roster.
The Pacers rotation is largely set; any free agent they add from this point on is going to be someone who isn't going to play much and will most likely be a locker room role. With that in mind, some of the available free agents who can still play a role in a team's rotation won't be included here as they likely wouldn't want a 15th man role.
The Pacers are still a fairly young team that could use additional veterans on the bench and in the locker room as leaders and to help maintain chemistry and cohesiveness. Here are a couple of players the Pacers could still add that would be their final moves in NBA free agency.
Pacers should re-sign James Johnson in NBA free agency
The story of how James Johnson was signed last season was a rather hilarious one. The Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks had gotten into an altercation following the game ball incident amid Giannis Antetokounmpo's franchise record 64 points. Antetokounmpo went chest to chest with Tyrese Haliburton and tried to confront Pacers players near their locker room. The very next day, Johnson was signed to the roster.
Johnson has a reputation around the NBA as being a good teammate and good presence in the locker room and on the bench, but also as an enforcer who isn't afraid of physical play. A 15-year pro, Johnson was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.
Last season, he appeared in only nine games for the Pacers at a little over five minutes per game. He averaged 0.9 points and 0.4 rebounds and only shot 30 percent from the field. But at this point his career, Johnson's contributions aren't going to come statistically. He's there just in case the Pacers need someone to dish out a hard foul or get up in someone's face.
Wesley Matthews could round out the Pacers roster in free agency
If James Johnson is unavailable for whatever reason, the Pacers could fill out their roster with another quality veteran in Wesley Matthews. Matthews is not the enforcer that Johnson is, nowhere near that capability. But he's a good locker room guy. He's managed to stick around the NBA for 15 years now as an undrafted player.
Matthews spent last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He appeared in only 36 games with three starts, at a little over 11 minutes per game. He averaged 3.1 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 34.8 percent from the three-point line. Matthews is still a capable three-point shooter with a career average of 37.5 percent.
All the Pacers would need from him is to be a solid locker room presence and be able to perhaps come in and knock down the occasional three-point shot. He too would only command a minimum contract at this point.
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