The Indiana Pacers’ scintillating playoff run ended embarrassingly as the Boston Celtics swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, amidst this heartbreak, the franchise found its diamond in the rough in Andrew Nembhard. The young guard’s skillful displays impressed the fans and the experts alike, with Draymond Green emerging as one of the top names on this list.
Advertisement
In the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, Green consequently gave props to Nembhard, stating, “This demeanor he carries; picks up 94 feet, you gotta love it…I always tell guards that size…’You wanna stay in this league and you that size? You better go pick up 94 feet’…To watch him these last couple of games take on an even bigger role and show what he is capable of against a great Boston Celtics defense, two All-NBA defenders, you gotta give Nembhard his credit”.
His praise provided a glimpse into the recent surge in performance of the Pacers’ youngster. Throughout the campaign, the 24-year-old mostly played second fiddle to the roster’s talisman, Tyrese Haliburton. Yet, during times of crisis, he became ‘the bigger man’ whenever he had to; leading the team through his actions, rather than words.
When the franchise entered the final two clashes of this series without the service of Haliburton, Nembhard stepped up magnificently. In Game 3, the Canadian registered his career-high playoff digits of 32 points, and 9 assists [per StatMuse]. Game 4 saw a continuation of this growth as the Pacers’ guard recorded a double-double of 24 points, and 10 rebounds [per StatMuse].
Additionally, Nembhard also indirectly encouraged the roster to take on more defensive responsibilities. The 6ft 4″ youngster attempted to guard the All-Star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown full court, slowing down the Celtics’ offensive progression. This certainly acted as a source of motivation for his teammates, while setting examples for the NBA newcomers, as Green pointed out.
These scenarios point toward a bright future for Nembhard in this league. Undoubtedly, the Pacers will look to do everything in their capacity to capitalize on this momentum.
The Indiana Pacers are already thinking about the future
In this campaign, the youngster served the second year of his 4-year rookie contract with the franchise, as per Sportac. This saw him earning $2.13 million throughout this season. However, this is bound to take a slight hit, with his salary decreasing to $2.09 million in the upcoming 2024/25 season.
This is set to catch the eyes of the rivals. With the interest around his services going upwards since his postseason heroics, the rest of the league could use monetary aspects in their favor to lure Nembhard elsewhere.
That said, the Pacers still hold the leash of the entire situation. After all, his rookie contract has a club option component attached to it, allowing the franchise to retain the youngster till the end of the 2026-27 season.
They may not let this scenario drag to that extent. As per Forbes Sports’ Evan Sidery on X (formerly Twitter), the franchise is already working on constructing a long-term deal with the Canadian star. With Haliburton committing his future to the Pacers last summer, and Pascal Siakam nearing an extension, Nembhard could become the final piece of their big three.
Andrew Nembhard is eligible for an extension following his breakout postseason performance.
Don’t be surprised if the Pacers quickly work to sign Nembhard to a long-term deal that gives him a significant raise from his current $2 million salary.
Nembhard shares the same agent… pic.twitter.com/xvZrL3V4WR
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 29, 2024
The fans remain excited about the team’s potential in the coming years. Who knows, maybe one day this trio will combine to bring home the first NBA title of the franchise. But, that’s a different story for another day.
