In his second year in the NBA, Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard proved to be arguably the best draft pick of the 2020s so far. Two years ago, the Pacers selected the Canadian native with the first pick of the second round in the 2022 NBA Draft. And earlier this summer, the team signed him to a three-year, $58.6 million contract extension.
Nembhard's extension comes fresh off the heels of his breakout playoff showcase. The Pacers made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2014 earlier this year, and a lot of that had to do with Nembhard's performance.
During the run, he averaged 14.9 points on 56% from the field and 48.3% from beyond the arc. This includes Games 4 and 5 of the conference finals against the eventual champion Boston Celtics. Star Tyrese Haliburton missed those games due to injury, and Nembhard stepped up in his place, averaging 28 points on 56.4% shooting, including 52.8% from behind the line in the losses.
With his new contract, the 24-year-old figures to officially be an essential part of Indiana's future, as he should be. He is a great player who should only continue to get better. However, there is a world where the Pacers may be forced to move on from Nembhard down the line.
Andrew Nembhard's contract and possible lack of opportunity will determine his Pacers future
In a recent episode of the Hollinger & Duncan NBA Show, Nate Duncan gave his insight on the Nembhard contract and gave an opinion that may upset some Pacers fans.
“I’d be shocked if finishes this contract on the ," Duncan said.
Duncan made it clear that he believes this contract gives Nembhard more trade value. Earlier this summer, Nembhard signed a three-year contract extension, despite being eligible for a four-year contract. By signing for one fewer year, it will allow Nembhard to get another big contract ahead of his age-29 season--one that the Pacers may not be able to afford.
Additionally, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that the San Antonio Spurs had interest in acquiring Nembhard before the Pacers signed him to an extension. Fischer also said that, although the Pacers managed to lock Nembhard up for the long haul, the Spurs are still a "team to monitor" for him in the future.
"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.
Nembhard is a great player, but he will likely never be the lead guard for the Pacers as long as Haliburton is on the team. By the time his new contract expires, Nembhard may want to showcase his full talents and fulfill his potential. It remains unclear whether the Pacers can give him that opportunity or not.
Furthermore, Duncan mentions that, if Bennedict Mathurin can come back from his injury and play well enough, it may make the team feel more inclined to trade Nembhard. This is likely because Mathurin is capable of playing shooting guard and arguably has more potential as a player than Nembhard.
Mathurin is another name the Pacers could move on from in the near future. However, though their roles are different, it could make sense for the team to move on from Nembhard to give Mathurin a better opportunity on the team, especially since it could become too expensive to keep them both, along with their other core players, down the line.