Aaron Nesmith makes his summer league debut with the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers completed their third summer league game on Tuesday. Aaron Nesmith was able to play for the team after the Malcolm Brogdon trade became official, so he did just that.

Nesmith is wearing No. 23 for the Pacers, which formerly belonged to Isaiah Jackson last season. Nesmith scored 12 points (4/10 FG), 7 rebounds, and 2 steals in 25 minutes of play.

Aaron Nesmith made his Indiana Pacers debut on Tuesday.

Aaron Nesmith was the 14th pick in the 2020 NBA draft, as it seems the Pacers are trying to acquire the entire draft class. Jalen Smith and Tyrese Haliburton were lottery picks in that class at picks 10 and 12.

We have seen this story before rather recently in Jalen Smith. A player undervalued by the team that drafted him, the Pacers traded for said player, and give him an opportunity he wouldn’t otherwise have. I think this is a great pickup for the current state of the team. Why not? He is 22 years old.

During post-game media availability, Nesmith was asked about getting traded and becoming an Indiana Pacer.

How did Nesmith find out he was being traded?

"“I was completely caught off guard, I was golfing. I was on the sixth hole, playing pretty decent and I got the phone call – it messed my day up. I played one more hole and then I called it a day.”"

Golf is hard enough, so I understand this from Nesmith. Seriously though, he said that Brad Stevens was the one to contact him and thanked him for his time with the Boston Celtics.

What will his role be in Indiana?

"“Be a good three and (defense) guy. I know I can be a top-notch three and D guy in this league so that is the focus. That is what I am going to work towards and that is what I am going to become”."

Nesmith was a great shooting prospect coming out of college but didn’t see extended NBA minutes to prove that consistently. In his rookie season, he played 14 minutes a game and shot the three at a 37% clip. In his second season, his minutes decreased as the Celtics’ title run went further and his three-point shot dropped ten percent.

In his last season with the Celtics, he averaged 3.8 points a game and 1.7 rebounds. Hopefully, the Pacers can find a role for him in their rotation and give him the ability to shoot, miss, make, and learn in this upcoming season.