While the Boston Celtics are watching the NBA 2025 final, they must be sick to know that one of the stars of the Pacers of Indiana was once a member of the Celtics – and that they essentially threw it in a profession for nothing. Years later, it is clear that Indiana stole Boston in this profession.
The Celtics drafted Aaron Nesmith with the 14th choice in total to the recovery of the NBA 2020. The 6’5 “wing of Vanderbilt had a relatively simple recovery profile: he was a bright extinct shooter who would find it difficult to be more than a defense. His players’ comparisons were with players like Duncan Robinson and Allen Crabbe.
Here is what the expert of the Sam Vecenie project said when the Celtics has drafted Nesmith: “He will not kill you in defense, but he will not really have an impact … but he will probably be wrong to call Nesmith a real guy of 3 and D too.” Boston drafted Nesmith awaiting a sniper.
Then Nesmith could not hit a shot during his first two seasons in the NBA. He pulled 71 out of 223 from the 3 -point fork with the Celtics, a dark 31.8% after firing 52.5% of his last season in college. If a player whose only real NBA skill faces fails, it is difficult to sink continuous resources in him.
It was thought, at least, when Boston included it as part of the Pou Pou Pou who returned to the Pacers of Indiana in July 2022. The Celtics targeted the goalkeeper of Pacers Malcolm Brogdon to be their sixth man and in exchange for Nesmith, Daniel Theis, a choice of first round in 2023 and three actors at the end of pig.
Brogdon had a perfectly fine season in Boston, winning the sixth man of the year and on average 14.9 points per game and pulling 44.4% at 3 points. The Celtics then exchanged it in the context of the counterpart salary in the JRUE holiday trade the following summer. If the cost was only a first -round choice, it seemed good for what the Celtics obtained from Brogdon.
Aaron Nesmith turned into monster 3 and D in Indiana
While Theis and the rest of the players thrown into the job never have much, Nesmith was another story. He has made major progress each season with the Pacers, turning into a high -end starting wing for them. He pulled 43.1% deeply this year out of 4.3 attempts per game and overall in three seasons with the Pacers, reached more than 40% in the long term.
What is more remarkable is that he has also become a phenomenal defender, capable of taking smaller guards and larger wings. He has closed Jalen Brunson in the past two years in the playoffs. He takes assignments such as Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Williams, two all-NBA players, and largely stand the blows. It was a remarkable development.
In addition to being a regular part of the starting range, Nesmith also had moments of brilliance. In the first match of the final of the Eastern Conference, he caught fire deeply and scored 20 points in less than five minutes to make a return for the ages. It was a really special moment for Nesmith and for Indiana.
Celtics would love a player like Nesmith right now, just like any NBA team. It has become the exact type of high -end role players whose all needs of the assertive team. He begins a small striker for a victory of the One team far from an NBA championship – and the Celtics raised their shoulders and dropped him into an exchange for an aging bench goalkeeper as if it were nothing.
No one expected Nesmith to turn into this, but Boston has exploded their chance to develop such a player themselves. They abandoned Nesmith and sent him to make packaging, and he built an exceptional career on his new team.
