Former Dallas Mavericks Veteran Inks New Deal With Indiana Pacers

Rick Carlisle loves having this veteran on his teams

Feb 23, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with forward James Johnson (16) after hitting the game-winning against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

NBA teams are starting to finalize their rosters and decide how to use their final roster spots. The Dallas Mavericks recently brought back Spencer Dinwiddie as their 15th roster spot and now one of their old players has re-signed with a former Mavs coach.

Former Mavericks forward James Johnson has re-signed with the Indiana Pacers on a 1-year, $3.3 million deal, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. At this point in Johnson's career, he's the seasoned veteran who can help develop the young guys while being insurance in case one of the star players gets in a scrap.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Forward Named One of the Most Underrated Players in the NBA

Johnson was brought to Dallas in 2020 to be security for Luka Doncic, playing in just 29 games before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans for J.J. Redick. He's played for 10 different organizations in his 15-year career, making a living out of being the enforcer for a lot of teams.

In that 2020-21 season, Rick Carlisle was in his last year as the coach of the Mavericks. Johnson clearly had an impact on Carlisle, as he made sure to bring the enforcer to Indiana and a young Pacers team. Johnson hasn't played much in two seasons there, just 27 games, but they value his experience and toughness.

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