Aaron Nesmith has been fantastic for the Indiana Pacers during their current playoff run. He is making big contributions on both sides of the ball and has developed into one of the best 3-and-D players in the league. However, the Vanderbilt alum is going to be eligible for a new contract soon, and he may be playing himself out of Indiana's price range.
Right now, Nesmith is in the second year of his three-year, $33 million contract. Even at the time of his new deal, this was considered a steal for Indiana, and it only continues to look better for the team as Nesmith improves. However, he has now established himself as one of the team's most important players and would likely be coveted around the league if he were to hit the market.
Indiana is already in a tough spot financially, mostly because they will likely have to pay the luxury tax, assuming they re-sign Myles Turner this offseason. However, it might only get worse if Nesmith continues to play at this level, and he could potentially hold out for more money than the Pacers are willing to give him.
Aaron Nesmith may have been the Pacers' playoff X-factor so far
The Pacers are in the NBA Finals for a couple of reasons. Head coach Rick Carlisle has come up with the perfect gameplan each series, and they have mostly gotten tremendous play out of their top guys--Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner. However, Nesmith and what he has been able to do on the court cannot be overlooked.
Through 16 playoff games so far this year, the South Carolina native is averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 50.3% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. Additionally, he was a hero for the Pacers in their comeback victory against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the conference finals, which helped set the tone for the team the rest of the way.
Nesmith is continuing to prove that he is crucial to the Pacers' success, especially now that they have established themselves as contenders. He is only 25 years old and still has room to improve even more. As the Pacers look to eliminate the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, they will continue to rely on Nesmith to make his presence felt on both sides of the ball. Regardless, he might be a name to keep an eye on in the market sooner rather than later.