NBA dismissed Josiah-Jordan James for professional career after been draft on roster…

Five-star recruit James came from Charleston, S.C., with a lot of hype, and he lived up to it in many respects. He was a stalwart in Tennessee’s lineup for the entirety of his career and was a legendary tough, adaptable, and selfless player. As he moved from point guard to wing to stretch-four power forward and battled a string of injuries, he never quite lived up to the hype in terms of scoring points. Instead, he frequently found other ways to contribute to Rick Barnes and his staff’s strategy, such as leadership, defense, and offensive facilitation.
James was a super senior last season who mainly played at the four position. Despite this, he averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, and he had some standout performances along the way as the Vols advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight stage. James scored 23 points in a victory against eventual Final Four opponent N.C. State, a career-high 27 points in Tennessee basketball’s victory over Kentucky at Rupp Arena, and 20 points in the Vols’ defeat at North Carolina in the Dean Dome.

James will begin his professional career with the very competitive Indiana Pacers, who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Boston Celtics, the eventual NBA Champions, and are predicted to be strong contenders the following year.

Next month, James will be in the NBA Summer League with the Pacers, where he will compete for a roster position.

Before signing James, the Pacers added three players in the NBA Draft. Indiana acquired Johnny Furphy, the No. 35 overall pick from Kansas, in exchange for the No. 49 and No. 50 overall selections of UConn’s Tristen Newton and Akron’s Enrique Freeman.