Anthony Johnson appears to be on his way to joining Austin Croshere in Dallas.
The Indiana Pacers are on the verge of finalizing a deal with the Mavericks for veteran point guard Darrell Armstrong in a sign-and-trade deal, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Mavericks forward Josh Powell is also believed to be involved in the trade. The deal is pending league approval, which could happen as early as Monday.
Johnson, who spent three seasons with the Pacers, was a steady contributor despite roles that ranged from third-string point guard to starter. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds while outplaying New Jersey's Jason Kidd in the Pacers' six-game, first-round playoff loss last season.
Trading Johnson, who said the team's "culture has to change" at the end of last season, avoids a point guard controversy with Jamaal Tinsley. Pacers president Larry Bird said Tinsley is "as good as you're going to get" if he is healthy in his season-ending news conference. Tinsley has battled injuries each of the past three seasons.
Sarunas Jasikevicius is also a candidate to be traded in the Pacers' crowded backcourt. Rookie James White and newly acquired Marquis Daniels can also play point guard.
The acquisition of Armstrong, a 13-year veteran, would give the Pacers a veteran voice in the locker room. He has averaged 10.1 points and 4.4 assists in his career. Powell, a rookie last season who went undrafted in 2003, averaged 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 37 games last season.
This is the second offseason trade for the Pacers, who sent Croshere to Dallas for Daniels.
Shooting guard Fred Jones could be the next Pacer traded. The Toronto Star reported today that Jones is headed to the Raptors. The deal could be finalized in the next couple of days.
