LAS VEGAS — Aaron Nesmith arrived at the sixth hole at Charleston’s municipal golf course earlier this month when he received the call from Brad Stevens.
“I was completely caught off guard,” Nesmith said after his Pacers Summer League debut on Tuesday. “I was playing pretty decent and I got the phone call, messed my day up. I only played one more hole.”
Nesmith had been traded alongside Daniel Theis and three other players for Malcolm Brogdon, ending the young wing’s tenure with the Celtics after two seasons and 98 games. The No. 14 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Danny Ainge’s final first-round pick as Boston’s president, Nesmith hoped to space the floor and defend alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but initially struggled to defend before losing his shot, finishing 31.8% from three during his tenure. As the Celtics added veteran depth into Stevens’ tenure, Nesmith’s minutes disappeared as he admitted to close the season he lost confidence and needed to get away from basketball once the season ended. He’ll now get a fresh start with a rebuilding Pacers team where numerous young guards and wings received ample playing time last season.
He spent the last month since the Celtics’ NBA Finals loss reflecting, golfing at home and working out.
“I just took a step back,” Nesmith told CLNS Media. “Reevaluated everything that I needed to and created more clear-cut game plan, goals for myself and what I wanted for this upcoming season and where I see myself from the beginning to the end … be one of the best 3-and-D players in the league, become a better overall basketball player, get my shooting percentage back to where I know it’s supposed to be and becoming one of the best teammates I can be.”
When the trade went down, a contract stipulation held it up from becoming official until late last week. That meant Nesmith had to arrive to Summer League on the fly, without much of any introduction to the organization and no practice time to join his young Indiana teammates. Nesmith initially wasn’t sure he’d participate in the Las Vegas showcase, typically for first and second-year players, but his struggles and a turbulent rookie season that had no Summer League due to the COVID pandemic made him willing to do whatever it took to improve.
Nesmith shook off some early turnovers in the game and finished 4-for-10 (2/5 3PT) with 12 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals playing alongside rookies Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and young big man Isaiah Jackson, who led a 101-87 win over the Pistons. Nesmith didn’t want to check out of what became a blowout.
“I was really impressed with the start,” Pacers Summer League Ronald Nored told CLNS Media. “He’s picked up on pretty much everything that we’re doing. Obviously, I think his experience in the NBA and playing a lot of minutes already has helped him with that transition. We were up big and he was like, ‘can I stay in a little bit longer.’ He’s itching to play. So it’s always exciting when you have a guy like that, that wants to play, that’s ready to play and I think he did a good job.”
Nored, who played for Stevens at Butler from 2008-2012 and briefly coached in the Celtics organization, received a call from Stevens after the trade. He called Nesmith a salt of the earth guy and good player.
As Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle looked on, Nesmith focused on defense and shooting, which he still believes can make him an impactful player at the NBA level. He didn’t played often for Boston, but improved defensively behind the scenes and noted that in his workouts he routinely drained shots. That will need to translate to the games soon though, as Oshae Brissett and others have improved quickly in recent seasons on the perimeter for Indiana.
“Even over the years, when we’ve had random conversations, (Stevens has) always talked about how good of a guy and how good of a player Nesmith is,” Nored told CLNS. “To get a guy like that, that a guy I really respect likes, it’s a good thing for us.”
Nesmith, though caught off guard, appreciated the opportunity Stevens gave him to send him to a team with promise where he can earn minutes. The Celtics gave him an opportunity to play in the playoffs as a rookie and reach the NBA Finals in his second season. A brief east finals appearance highlighted his run personally, but he picked up habits and learned how to become a professional from all stars like Kemba Walker, Al Horford, Tatum and Brown to begin his career.
The difficulty of winning, he said, is what he’ll take away from his tenure most. He won’t leave Boston alone either, since Theis will join the Pacers with him. Nesmith still hadn’t talked to Theis yet as of Tuesday, but said his longtime teammates presence will make the transition to Indianapolis easier. On a young roster, he’s already looking at claiming a leadership position and bringing some of the winning lessons he learned in Boston to an Indiana team that’s quickly ascending around Tyrese Haliburton and could reportedly add Deandre Ayton to the mix through an offer sheet soon.
Stevens told Nesmith he appreciated his time with the Celtics and emphasized the opportunity ahead of him. Nesmith hasn’t had much time to meet with Pacers officials yet, but in a brief exchange with the coaching staff and front office they kept his goals simple. Ones he’ll try to expand on as the week continues at Summer League.
“Just play free, be a good 3-and-D guy and I know I can be a top-notch 3-and-D guy in this league,” Nesmith told CLNS. “That’s the focus, that’s what I’m gonna work towards and that’s what I’m gonna become.”
