Indiana Pacers forward James Johnson sees contract become guaranteed for rest of season

Johnson's deal was non-guaranteed until today

Indiana Pacers forward James Johnson will not be waived by 5 pm Eastern Time today, so his contract is now fully guaranteed for the rest of the season. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed that the team had a moment of appreciation for Johnson after practice today since his deal would make it past the guarantee deadline.

Previously, Johnson's deal was non-guaranteed. Had he been waived today, the Pacers would have saved some salary cap money and opened up a roster spot. But the team opted to keep the veteran forward, and Johnson has been a key piece for Indiana's locker room all season long.

"James Johnson's been huge man, he's been great. He's pretty much the heart of the team," rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin said of Johnson. "He's a great teammate on and off the court.

Johnson has appeared in nine games for the Pacers this season and has totalled 71 minutes of playing time. He is averaging 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds per game with his best outing being a five point, two rebound, two assist night in Brooklyn earlier this season.

His toughness is appealing to his teammates, and it bleeds into his playstyle. Johnson's ability to handle the ball as a forward is something that Carlisle is fond of, and that has led to the 13-year veteran getting on the court for rotation minutes on occasion.

"He's established a high level of value here," Carlisle said of Johnson. Carlisle coached Johnson in Dallas a few years ago. "He's filled a mentoring-type veteran role that's very difficult to fill."

Johnson will make $2.9 million this season, though his cap hit for the Pacers is smaller than that. Technically, he can still be waived at any time if Indiana wants to free up a roster spot, but he will still get paid his entire contract value, and his deal will still be on the books for the rest of the season in that case.

Johnson earned that. He works hard on his game and his outside shot in practices and has been a key off-court piece for the blue and gold. With his deal guaranteed, he will continue to be that going forward.

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