East Notes: Pacers, Aaron Nesmith, Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly, Bucks

Pacers

The Pacers are locking in one of their best glue guys, as guard Aaron Nesmith has agreed to a two-year, $40.4 million extension, agent Mike Lindeman told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The deal includes a trade kicker and will pay Nesmith roughly $19.4 million in 2027-28 and $21 million in 2028-29, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Nesmith, who just turned 26, has become one of the league’s premier 3-and-D wings since being traded to Indiana from Boston in 2022.

He averaged 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds on elite .500/.423/.829 shooting splits last season and was a key piece in the Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals, shooting nearly 49% from three in the postseason — the best mark among players with at least 100 attempts, according to ESPN Research.

He joins Toumani Camara and A.J. Green as recent under-the-radar vets who’ve cashed in before the season. The deal represents the maximum Indiana could offer on a two-year structure.

Wizards

The Wizards will be without Bilal Coulibaly to start the season, coach Brian Keefe told reporters, via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.

The 21-year-old forward is still recovering from right thumb surgery after tearing a ligament while playing for France at EuroBasket 2025.

Coulibaly was expected to miss six to eight weeks following the Sept. 12 procedure, meaning his return could still be a couple of weeks away. The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in 33 minutes last season before a hamstring injury ended his year early.

On the bright side, AJ Johnson will make his debut Wednesday against Milwaukee after missing the preseason with a leg bruise.

As for rookie Tre Johnson, Robbins polled several scouts about his long-term upside. One compared him to Tyler Herro, projecting him as a possible “third-best player on a contender” if his shooting keeps improving.

Bucks

The Bucks have made their final roster decision, keeping Andre Jackson Jr. and waiving Tyler Smith, according to Charania.

As The Athletic’s Eric Nehm reported Sunday, Smith was not present at Milwaukee’s open practice and was expected to be released ahead of Monday’s deadline.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line confirmed the move and added that Smith is expected to have “several” two-way contract options in the coming days.

Milwaukee had to choose between Smith and Jackson after deciding to retain Amir Coffey.

Jackson’s stronger preseason showing gave him the edge. His $2.2 million salary for 2025-26 will now be fully guaranteed, while the Bucks will carry Smith’s $1.96 million salary on the books for this season.

Smith, 20, was the 33rd pick in the 2024 draft and appeared in 23 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 2.9 points in 5.3 minutes. He also posted modest numbers with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd.

Despite being under contract through 2028, his final two seasons were non-guaranteed.