The Indiana Pacers are signing guard Andrew Nembhard to a three-year, $59 million contract extension, his agents confirmed to ESPN. This extension takes Nembhard's contract through the 2027-28 season, and, if he continues on the trajectory he's on, this will be great value for the Pacers down the road. Nemhard is currently getting ready to play for the Canadian national team at the 2024 Olympics.
Nembhard, whom the Pacers drafted with the 31st overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, was a integral piece in Indiana's Eastern Conference finals run this past season. He took a huge leap from his regular season production, going from averaging 9.2 points to 15 points a game in the playoffs. He also shot the ball extremely well at a 56% clip from the field, while making 3s at a 48.3% rate. He also averaged 5.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and really gave Indiana another scorer in the starting lineup alongside Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner.
Nembhard's secondary creation in the starting lineup was paramount for the Pacers in the playoffs, as it gave Haliburton a rest from having to do everything on offense. He's got great court vision, doesn't force things and rarely turns the ball over. His 30-foot game winner in Game 3 in the second around against the Knicks also sparked life into the Pacers for the rest of the series, a series that they eventually went on to win after being down 2-0.
His production became even more important in the conference finals when Haliburton was sidelined for two games. In those two games, Nembhard put up 32 points and 24 points, trying his best to give Indiana a shot at extending the series. And while the Pacers did get swept, it showed that Nembhard is capable of stepping up in those moments when he's needed.
But the offense alone isn't Nembhard's only strength. He's a solid defender, who is committed on that end of the floor. The Pacers were a better team on defense with him on the floor this season, as they allowed 4.4 fewer points with him in the lineup compared to when he sat, which is sorely needed for a team that ranked 24th on defense during the regular season.
Signing Nembhard to an extension now ensures the Pacers get a deal done before his price could potentially go up. If he builds upon the performance he had in the postseason, Nembhard could've become more expensive down the line, which might have handicapped Indiana's ability to spend elsewhere on the roster. They've already got Siakam signed to a max extension, and Haliburton got his rookie max extension too, and with Nembhard's deal locked in it ensures that trio stays together until at least the 2027-28 season.
The only other really important piece to the puzzle is figuring out Turner's next deal, as he'll enter next season on an expiring $19.9 million contract. But by signing Nembhard now, it'll allow Indiana to spend more to try and retain Turner and anyone else the Pacers envision on keeping around this solid core going forward.
