After starting his career with the Boston Celtics, Aaron Nesmith has blossomed with the Indiana Pacers. Thriving after the opportunity afforded by a change of scenery, he's essential to the latter reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years.
But when it happened, the emotions of the trade that brought him to Indiana were raw.
"He was disappointed. He liked playing for Boston. He was actually out playing golf when he got the call," his father, William Nesmith, told ClutchPoints in a recent interview. "He didn't know. So, he was blindsided by it and wasn't so happy about that."
The trade was a win for both sides
Fresh off an appearance in the 2022 NBA Finals, the Celtics were determined to figure out how to get over the hump after coming within two wins of Banner 18.
That led to a deal with the Pacers for Malcolm Brogdon. The cost was a 2023 first-round pick, Aaron Nesmith, Daniel Theis, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, and Nik Stauskas.
The common sentiment about the trade at the time was that Boston underpaid.
What the Celtics gave up for Brogdon pic.twitter.com/8GFYW72WWy
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 1, 2022
Brogdon went on to win Sixth Man of the Year. Unfortunately, an arm injury undermined his postseason production. After an Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Miami Heat, the Celtics traded him in a package that included Robert Williams III. The return was Jrue Holiday.
The consequences of the second apron and spending multiple years over it could lead to Holiday only lasting one more season in Boston than Brogdon. Before acquiring the former, the Celtics had spent years finishing within an arm's grasp of a championship. Holiday's arrival was essential to preserving and reaching the NBA summit.
As for Nesmith, he's evolved into a crucial part of Indiana's success. He's averaging 13.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and nearly 1.0 steals per contest this postseason. The former 14th overall pick is converting on 50.4 percent of the 5.4 threes he's launching.
The South Carolina native plays a fearless brand of basketball fueled by a motor that runs non-stop. As a primary option against Jalen Brunson, he made life difficult for the New York Knicks' star guard in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the series opener of that clash, the Pacers erased a 14-point deficit with 2:50 left. Teams were previously 977-0 when leading by that amount with that much time remaining in the fourth quarter or overtime of a playoff game in the play-by-play era, per Nate Duncan of Dunc'd On Prime.
At the heart of that was Nesmith. He became the first player in NBA history to make six threes in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. He was also there to slow down Brunson at the other end of the floor. Without that win, Indiana might not be on the league's brightest stage.
Without the trade that sent him there, who knows how Nesmith's career turns out? His father is grateful for his son's time in Boston. However, he also recognizes that this deal was the luck needed to help him reach the heights he has ascended to.
"I'm never ever going to be angry at Boston because Boston picked him up in the lottery with a broken foot," said the elder Nesmith. "It didn't seem like it was going to work out in Boston. So, I was happy when he came over here, and he got a chance to play because I realized when you get to this level, you still need a little luck, and you need to be in the right place."
In Indiana, Nesmith has found a home. It's also true that the relentless roster-churning and unpredictability of the NBA means one can't rule out another blindsiding trade. But the tools sharpened or newly tapped into as a Pacer will allow him to flourish if he relocates again at some point in his career.