Just a couple of months ago, the Indiana Pacers found themselves in a pleasantly surprising situation. After overcoming a 2-0 series deficit as the No. 6 seed against the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Pacers made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2014.
Ultimately, the team lost to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in a four-game sweep. However, the series was much more competitive than it seemed as three of the four losses were decided by five or fewer points. And if you ask the average NBA fan, they would likely tell you the Pacers were Boston's toughest opponent during their championship run in spite of the sweep.
A big reason for Indiana's impressive playoff run is the emergence of second-year guard Andrew Nembhard. During the playoffs, the 24-year-old averaged 14.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 56% from the field and 48.3% from the three-point line. This includes a monstrous 32-point performance when he shot 12-for-21 (57.1%) against the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Nembhard's breakout led to him receiving a three-year, $59 million contract extension to remain with Indiana. Furthermore, his performance has not gone unnoticed around the league. Currently, he is set to represent Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics and has already made an impact on one of his teammates, former champion and Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray.
Recently, Murray spoke about the Pacers guard, calling him "one of my favorite players in the NBA." Additionally, Murray revealed that he is "excited to play alongside him" during the Olympics.
“He plays with the highest of IQs, he’s probably one of my favourite players in the NBA right now, he’s just very underrated. He’s very good defensively, he’s very deceptive on both ends of the court. He plays the passing lanes and he’s physical for his size … And he can lead a unit better than people give him credit for. I’m excited to play alongside him," said Murray.
The San Antonio Spurs reportedly pursued Andrew Nembhard this offseason
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the San Antonio Spurs reportedly pursued Nembhard before acquiring Chris Paul and drafting Stephon Castle during the offseason.
"The Spurs will be one team to monitor for Nembhard moving forward, sources said, after San Antonio registered trade interest in Nembhard this offseason," Fischer said.
Additionally, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that other teams consider Nembhard a potential "lead guard" following his playoff run.
"After his outstanding performance in the playoffs, Nembhard is increasingly considered by some rival teams as a lead guard, meaning that he also might project as a player capable of generating a richer offer in down-the-road free agency than the Pacers can offer in an extension this summer," Stein said.
While it seems unlikely the Pacers would move on from Nembhard given his recent extension, it is telling that so many teams around the NBA are interested in adding him to the roster. Fortunately for Pacers fans, it does not appear that the Olympic guard is on his way out anytime soon.