Pacers start working to keep core group together by agreeing to contract extension with Nesmith

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers began the work of keeping their core starters together long term Tuesday by signing forward Aaron Nesmith to a two-year contract extension.

Financial details of the agreement were not immediately available. His contract was set to expire after next season.

Nesmith has emerged as a key two-way player for Indiana the last two seasons. He's arguably the Pacers best defender and also has developed into a clutch scorer on teams that reached the 2024 Eastern Conference finals and the Finals in 2025. And they'll need both elements of his game to overcome the expected season-long loss of All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton.

“Aaron Nesmith embodies our team’s selfless, fast-paced style of play while also playing a key role in defining our culture, all of which is a testament to his talent, dedication, and commitment to this organization and our fans,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “We look forward to Aaron’s continued growth and contributions to both our team and our community, and we’re proud to have reached an agreement that will keep him here in Indiana.”

Injuries limited Nesmith to 37 starts and 45 games last season when he averaged 12.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals. He was even better in the playoffs. He averaged a career high 12.2 points in 2023-24 when he emerged as a regular starter.

Boston drafted the former Vanderbilt star with the No. 14 pick in 2020, but he didn't get much playing time because of the Celtics deep, experienced bench. Indiana acquired Nesmith in an offseason trade in 2022 that featured Malcolm Brogdon.

Indiana now has seven players in its rotation signed through the 2027-28 season including All-Star forward Pascal Siakam and Haliburton, whose contract runs through 2028-29.

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