It has been a difficult offseason for the Indiana Pacers. As if Tyrese Haliburton’s absence for the upcoming season wasn’t daunting enough, the Pacers have had to deal with several departures. Of course, this includes the stunning exit of Myles Turner, and it seems as if the exits are set to continue. Pacers GM has confirmed that the franchise intends to cut ties with another player.

While the Indiana supporters have already had their fair share of emotional goodbyes this season, even Haliburton might be concerned, with the organization set to let go of veteran James Johnson off their books. We all know just how close-knit a relationship the 38-year-old Pacers star and Haliburton share, but things might change soon. This comes after Pacers GM Chad Buchanan revealed his recent conversation with Johnson, who is now a free agent after his contract expired this summer.

“I just talked to James two days ago. He wants to keep playing.” Buchanan said on the Setting The Pace podcast. “He’s embraced his role and has been outstanding for our team the last couple of years. He’s like a family member to all of us.” While the Pacers GM did acknowledge how much he and the organization value James Johnson’s services for the past three seasons, what he said next will not only break hearts, but might be a huge blow to Hali as well.

“Whether there’s a roster spot for James… right now, it could be challenging to find a spot for James as much as we want him back,” He said. “It’s painful to think of our team without him moving forward, but it may be a reality just because of our roster situation right now, too.” The Pacers executive confirmed that making space for Johnson could be tricky. That’s because right now the team has already filled its 15-man roster. Out of them, 14 have guaranteed money on their contracts for the upcoming season.

The lone exception is center Tony Bradley, but waiving him isn’t the best way forward for Indy, which already entered the season with two injury-prone big men in James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson. This has left the Indiana Pacers’ front office in a tough spot, as despite wanting to re-sign Johnson, they do not seem to have a choice.

James Johnson’s bond with Tyrese Haliburton

A huge reason why the Indiana Pacers were that good last season was because they had several difference makers on their roster. All the way from Pascal Siakam to Tyrese Haliburton, every Pacers star stepped up whenever needed. However, there was one leader whose contribution you might not be able to find in any scorebox. Yes, we’re talking about James Johnson. The 38-year-old forward might not have had the biggest impact, if any, on the court. But off of it, he kept the Pacers’ dressing room together.

Johnson’s personality and experience have been something that has extremely valuable to this Pacers team with several youngsters on it, especially Tyrese Haliburton, who has developed a great relationship with the veteran. The two share great chemistry both on and off the court. You might have often seen Johnson waiting for Haliburton to finish his interview so that he could walk to the locker room with him. However, what Johnson did recently is the true showing of how caring and supportive he is.

Despite not being under contract with the Pacers, Johnson showed up at Haliburton’s camp to help out the team. His reason? Well, it’s simple, the veteran forward suggested that he and Haliburton have been together in the trenches for three years. While that speaks loads about their bond, it’s sad that we might not be able to see them share the floor again.