SUMMARY
- James Johnson, the veteran forward for the Indiana Pacers, is set to sign a second 10-day deal with the team.
- James Johnson was a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 16 small forward and the No. 62 player in the nation in 2007.
James Johnson, the veteran forward for the Indiana Pacers, is reportedly set to sign a second 10-day deal with the team, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Johnson has played 23 games with Pacers in parts of past two seasons.
Johnson’s journey in basketball started at Cheyenne East High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming. During his senior year, he made a big impact on the court, averaging 28 points and nine rebounds per game. Johnson also played as a wide receiver on the school’s football team alongside his brother, Scott.
Johnson was a four-star recruit according to Rivals.com and was ranked as the No. 16 small forward and the No. 62 player in the nation in 2007. This led him to Wake Forest University, where he continued to develop his basketball skills.
In his freshman year (2007–08) at Wake Forest, Johnson earned third-team All-ACC honors and was the runner-up in the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year balloting. As a sophomore, he played a crucial role in Wake Forest’s 24–5 record and their #1 ranking during the 2008–09 season.
His consistent performance earned him a third-team All-ACC selection for the second straight year. Following his sophomore year, Johnson declared his eligibility for the 2009 NBA draft.
James Johnson was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2009
James Johnson’s professional basketball career started when the Chicago Bulls selected him as the 16th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He averaged 3.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in two seasons with the Bulls.
Johnson’s career continued with short stints at several other teams, including the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and Memphis Grizzlies (2013-2014), a return to the Raptors (2014-2016), and then moves to the Miami Heat (2016-2020), Minnesota Timberwolves (2019-2020), Dallas Mavericks (2020-2021), New Orleans Pelicans (2020-2021), and Brooklyn Nets (2021-2022).
In 2016, Johnson signed with the Miami Heat, where he had some of his best performances, including a career-high 31 points against the Denver Nuggets. His time with the Heat also included a big contract (4-year, $60 million) signing in 2017.
After Miami Johnson moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then to the Dallas Mavericks, followed by the New Orleans Pelicans and the Brooklyn Nets. His time with the Nets ended in early 2022, after which he signed with the Indiana Pacers.