Andrew Nembhard extension earns deserved distinction

Earlier this offseason, the Indiana Pacers and guard Andrew Nembhard agreed to a three-year, $58.7 million contract extension. This extension came fresh off the Canadian guard's breakout performance during last season's playoff run.

The Pacers made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2014 earlier this year, and it was the perfect chance for Nembahrd to show the world exactly what he is capable of.

In the conference finals series against the eventual champion Boston Celtics, Nembhard averaged 21 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game. Furthermore, he shot 54.1% from the field and 47.6% from beyond the arc. This includes a fantastic Game 3 performance, where he recorded 32 points on 12-for-21 shooting, including 4-for-7 from the three-point line, four rebounds, and nine assists.

Despite losing to the Celtics in a four-game sweep, the Pacers kept the series competitive, even when All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton was forced to miss the last two games due to an injury. A large part of this is because of Nembhard's play on the court. And in addition to his playoff run, Nembhard represented Team Canada during the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.

The sky is the limit for the 24-year-old, and it is a good thing for both sides that the Pacers locked him up for the long haul. Indiana had a pretty quiet offseason, but the moves they did make were extremely important. And according to Bleacher Report's Dan Favale, extending Nembhard was the best move they made this summer.

Bleacher Report names the Andrew Nembhard extension as the Pacers' best offseason move

In a recent article, Favale listed the best move each NBA team made this summer. For the Pacers, he listed the Nembhard extension as their best move due to the nature of the "beyond team-friendly" aspect of the contract.

Given Favale's assessment of the extension, it is difficult to disagree. Nembhard is a fantastic guard and will only grow from here. Additionally, he was reportedly pursued by other teams before the extension became official. Keeping Nembhard under contract was a no-brainer for the Pacers.

Favale's decision to give the Nembhard extension the nod as the Pacers' best move of the summer is interesting considering the transactions he put it above, including the re-signing of Pascal Siakam.

Regardless, it would be tough to find a Pacers fan who is unhappy with the Nembhard extension, especially if it helps the team make another deep playoff run in 2025.