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HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Aaron Nesmith #23 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates after a three-point shot in the first half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on December 29, 2025 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
The Indiana Pacers were one of two teams fined for perceived tanking behavior. They were fined $100,000 for sitting players in a game against the Utah Jazz. In that game, Aaron Nesmith was one of the players who had to sit out.
Nesmith was one of several starters who sat out that game against Utah. However, Nesmith is not a guy who likes to sit out games. He usually plays in as many games as possible. That was one game that he was clearly not able to participate in because of his injury.
Rick Carlisle talked about the fine on his weekly radio hit and detailed some crazy things that the NBA wanted them to do regarding Nesmith for that game.
GettyIndiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith reacts. (Photo by Tyler Schank/Getty Images)
Rick Carlisle Says NBA Wanted Pacers to Medicate Aaron Nesmith
According to Carlisle, the NBA actually wanted the Pacers to medicate Nesmith so that he could play in that game against the Jazz.
“There was a league lawyer doing the interview who unilaterally decided that Aaron Nesmith, who would have been injured the night before, and couldn’t hold the ball, should’ve played in the game. Which just seems ridiculous…And during the interview, they asked if we considered medicating him to play in a game when we were 30 games under .500.”
Carlisle also mentioned that the Pacers asked if the NBA wanted their doctors to examine Nesmith or even talk to the team doctors, and they declined.
“We asked them if they wanted to talk to the team doctors about it because it was something that was documented. They said no, they didn’t need to. They talked to their doctors, who did not examine Aaron Nesmith. We asked if they wanted to talk to the kid (Nesmith), and they said no, they didn’t need to.”
If this is what the NBA actually did, that’s a major issue. Nesmith has faced multiple injuries this season, so there is no need to put him at further risk for major injury with Indiana in the spot they are now.
GettyIndiana Pacers Rick Carlisle reacts during a game. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
The NBA Must Explain Fining the Pacers After This Revelation
Tanking has been a major discussion around the NBA in the last few weeks. Adam Silver has made it clear that next season, there will be additional measures used to curb it. This is not the right way to handle things, however. Nesmith was truly injured, and questioning that without talking to the doctors is an issue.
The league needs to have an explanation for fining the Pacers if this is the process they used to make that determination. They also fined the Jazz $500,000 for their perceived tanking. If they used the same process for that fine, that should be investigated, as well.
Carlisle let it be known that he was none too pleased with this decision from the league. He usually keeps out of these kinds of things. He thought it was important that this information was given out.