Not that anybody should be all that surprised, but Andrew Nembhard has picked it up right where he left off for the Indiana Pacers last season (in 2025-26, he stepped up big-time in Tyrese Haliburton's absence, and he averaged 16.9 PPG and 7.7 APG while shooting 36.1% from deep on 5.2 attempts, which were all career highs).
The Canadian native has long been a crucial part of Indiana's success, and he gives it his all on the court every single night. And that is no different this season.
Andrew Nembhard is stepping up for the Pacers once again
Through his first seven games of the campaign, Nembhard has averaged 19 points, 6.9 assists, and 2.1 rebounds on 46.3/39.5/90.3% shooting splits. He has especially ramped it up in his last three games, averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds on 46/44/90.9% shooting splits, and leading the Pacers to a 107-103 victory against the then 6-2 Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
His efficiency is the best it's ever been. He is still a menace on the defensive side of the ball. And he is doing a great job of filling in for Haliburton (again), who has missed some time due to a hamstring injury.
There's a lot to like about Nembhard and what he brings to the table. He is a fantastic sidekick to Haliburton in the backcourt, but he is also showing that he can contribute as the primary ball-handler whenever his number is called. The Gonzaga alum provides a ton of value in every area of the game, and for the Pacers to go on a deep run this year, they're going to need him to bring his A-game.
And so far, he's done exactly that.
Andrew Nembhard is showing why the Pacers must extend him
Nembhard is eligible for a new contract extension in the offseason. In theory, it should be a no-brainer for Indiana to give him a new deal, and to be fair, it is. Well, at least until you realize Haliburton is also due for a contract extension. And Pascal Siakam. And Ivica Zubac. And Obi Toppin. And Jarace Wa- (I'll stop there).
The fact is, the Pacers have some real decisions to make this offseason. They haven't paid the luxury tax in over two decades, but if they want to keep even just their core players around, they'll most likely need to break this trend. Whether they will actually want to or not is a different story, though.
There's a very real possibility that Indiana won't bring every major extension-eligible player back. And going through the list, Nembhard could be the odd man out (Haliburton and Siakam: obvious locks; Zubac: you don't trade your first-round pick for him during a down year only for him to go after one full season, especially because you would still desperately need a center -- he's staying; Toppin: not as talented as Nembhard, but he would be cheaper and very difficult to replace).
Nembhard is great, but there's a case to be made that he could be the odd man out. He's about to be 27 years old in January and doesn't have a super high ceiling, and he would likely be the easiest player for the Pacers to replace in the lineup because he's not an anchor and technically plays out of position anyway.
Still, the Pacers should absolutely keep him around. He has proven time and time again that he is important to their success and can step up when needed. Maybe it's easy for me to say because it's not my money, but if it comes down to keeping the core together or moving on from someone like Nembhard to avoid paying the luxury tax, the decision should be an easy one: keep the core intact and see everything through.
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