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May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) celebrates during the second half of game five against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Celtics' Decision to Trade Aaron Nesmith Looks Awful Now

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI | By Jason Fray | Last updated May 23, 2025 10:20 AM ET

Hindsight is also 20/20 when analyzing any sort of NBA transaction.

While franchises hope these deals ultimately pan out, there's always the risk that the play jettisoned off the roster could turn into a real player. The Boston Celtics are experiencing this in real time as former first round draft pick Aaron Nesmith is currently starring for the Indiana Pacers.

More Boston Celtics news: 5 Changes the Celtics Need to Make in Offseason

Nesmith is coming off a 30-point effort in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in which his Pacers mounted a furious comeback en route to an overtime win on the road versus the New York Knicks. Nesmith was the galvanizing force — scoring 20 points in the final 4:46 of the fourth quarter alone.

The 25-year-old small forward out of Vanderbilt has quickly morphed into one of the best two-way players in the league. He's found a home with the Pacers under Rick Carlisle's tutelage, and Nesmith has without a doubt flourished into a highly valuable piece to one of the best teams in the East.

For Boston, it's a tough pill to swallow. The Celtics took him 14th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Nesmith struggled to get on the court, often being benched in favor of fellow young player Romeo Langford (who's currently out of basketball entirely). In two years, Nesmith averaged 4.2 PPG in 12.7 minutes of game time.

THE AARON NESMITH GAME

30 points (20 in final 4:46 of 4Q)
8 threes (6-6 in final 4:46 of 4Q)

Both are play-by-play era playoff records for the final 4:46 of regulation... one of the greatest heat checks of all-time!pic.twitter.com/wdLbxSbrxR
— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2025

Indy Star duo Matthew Glenesk and Dustin Dopirak spoke to then-Boston head coach Ime Udoka about Nesmith's lack of playing time. It was a situation where the current Houston Rockets head man felt as if the team had better options to utilize.

"It was a tough situation where we had those wings in front of [Nesmith]," said Ime Udoka, who coached Nesmith in his second year in Boston and is now the head coach with the Rockets. "But it wasn't just that. It was the backups that we had, Josh Richardson, Dennis Schroeder and a lot of guys in those spots."

Wanting to upgrade backcourt depth, Boston traded Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Daniel Theis, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts and a 2023 first-round pick to the Pacers for Brogdon.

Nesmith's development arc is so interesting man, he was drafted off his shooting ability, i remember the fact he shot almost 50% on 3s being a selling point.

Gets drafted to boston, has to scratch and claw for minutes. Re invents himself as a scrappy defender/hustle guy.
— Abdel (@abdel_taco) May 22, 2025

All Nesmith has done has become Indiana's starting small forward. A very athletic, tough wing with above-average defensive skills, Nesmith has become a lynchpin for this Indiana team. He thrives in transition and has worked doggedly to improve his three-point percentage. Brogdon played one year for the Celtics before being shipped out to Portland the following offseason.

In three years with Indiana, he's shooting 40.2 percent from three while averaging 11.3 PPG. He's the perfect team player for a squad in playoff contention. Even if he hadn't started for the Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown ahead of him, the Celtics surely could've used Nesmith versus the Knicks given the team's lack of athleticism/bench depth.

Assuming Nesmith continues to play at this level, the Celtics will be kicking themselves for giving up on him too quickly.

More Boston Celtics news:

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Celtics' Derrick White Drawing Trade Interest From Western Conference Powerhouse

How Lakers' Kobe Bryant's Achilles Recovery and Post-Injury Performance Can Help Celtic Fans Today

For more news and notes about the Boston Celtics, head on over to Boston Celtics on SI.

This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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