Pacers trade could help them keep their family together

The Pacers traded out of the first round of the draft while they were still playing in the NBA Finals last week. They moved No. 23 to the New Orleans Pelicans to get their 2026 first-rounder back, then picked up the No. 38 pick in Wednesday's draft from the San Antonio Spurs.

That gives the Pacers the chance to add a top-40 player to their roster this season, at a spot where they've had success in the past. Specifically, they got starting guard Andrew Nembhard with the No. 31 selection in 2022. They might look for a very similar player at No. 38.

That's Ryan Nembhard, Nembhard's younger brother, who led all of NCAA's Division I in assists last season. He's a creative passer and a hand-nose defender at the point of attack, leading the WCC with 1.7 steals per game at his brother's alma mater, Gonzaga. He's not as big as his brother, but he played very well against more heralded players at the NBA Draft Combine.

The knock on the younger Nembhard is that he's only six feet tall, as opposed to his brother's 6-foot-4 frame. But for a Pacers team that won't have point guard Tyrese Haliburton next season, there's a need for backcourt depth.

Plus, the Pacers haven't shied away from adding siblings before. In 2019, one year after drafting guard Aaron Holiday, the Pacers signed his brother Justin as a free agent. In 2012, they signed Ben Hansbrough to play with his brother, Tyler. Nembhard fits that pattern.

It's impossible to predict where the Pacers are aiming for on Thursday with so many picks to go. But don't be surprised if there's a second Nembhard wearing a Pacers uniform by the end of the night.