NBA Notebook: Celtics-Pacers see Aaron Nesmith and Oshae Brissett trading places

Oshae Brissett found himself in Aaron Nesmith's seat. An ancillary role during the Celtics' playoff push faded into the first two rounds of the playoffs, and while Brissett posted his first career playoff points at the end of Celtics-Heat after Boston pulled away, his rotation spot disappeared even as Kristaps Porzingis fell with a calf injury the game before. 

On Tuesday, Brissett and Boston's coaches hadn't discussed him having a role in the east finals against his former team. He smiled anyway, appreciative to be part of a winning team after rising through Toronto and Indiana's G-League systems. He'd be ready when called upon, the Celtics' message to their deeper bench players throughout the season that they've all embraced. Nesmith had a more difficult adjustment to that stay-ready role in Boston, shifting his game to a more frantic, hustling style in limited minutes as a rookie before largely losing them into year two under Ime Udoka. The Celtics traded him for Malcolm Brogdon in 2022, uniting Nesmith and Brissett with the Pacers as Brissett saw Nesmith effectively take his role on the wing. 

"When I got (to the Pacers), (Myles Turner) helped me out, figure out the ropes, what it's like in Indiana and to play for Indiana," Brissett told Boston Sports Journal this week. "Aaron Nesmith as well, we had a lot of conversations last year and now seeing him in a key role on a playoff team is big. I'm happy for him as well. So there are a lot of guys on the team that I just love seeing their progression. Those relationships, I'll have for the rest of my career, rest of my life." 

The ties between Nesmith and the Celtics feel more fraught. Teammates expressed appreciation for the work and drive he put in, while acknowledging the frustration he felt with his inconsistent role. Nesmith has averaged 32.7 minutes per game this postseason, culminating in an 8-for-8 shooting game in New York that helped the Pacers clinch Game 7 and meet his former Celtics in the east finals. Through Game 2, he's averaging 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 43.7% FG (29.6% 3PT). 

It's not dazzling production, but at 24 he's emerged as Indiana's most consistent perimeter defender, a more aggressive driver and clearly has added significant muscle to his frame. He's crashed into the Celtics sideline at least twice battling for loose balls, including directly into Joe Mazzulla, his former developmental coach, who caught him before they fell into the seats. 

Mazzulla oversaw Payton Pritchard and Nesmith's transition to the NBA after the Celtics selected them in the first round of the 2020 draft. They went on the floor early, tossing up shots around screens while Mazzulla rebounded and set them up with passes. Mazzulla coached them during the 2021 Summer League, honing in on Pritchard's playmaking while Nesmith tried to widen his shot selection. Both thrived as the Celtics charged to a loss in the championship game of the showcase, which Pritchard sat out. Mazzulla kept his praise short and sweet of the former wing, great person, hard worker. 

"Great guy, extremely hard worker," Al Horford said. "I was always impressed with his work ethic. With his drive. Always wanted to learn. Very positive. For such a young guy to be in a position that he felt like he could play, but wasn't able to play, he was always very professional here. He was staying ready. He kept on working on his body. He kept on believing in himself. It's great to see him get an opportunity and be one of the main players on this team that has led them to an Eastern Conference Finals."

Pritchard, who experienced similar frustration with his role in Boston, called Nesmith a good friend and hell of a competitor who's constantly improving. Prior to his breakout game against his former team, posting 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a close January loss, Nesmith had struggled against Boston. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have targeted him as a mismatch despite Nesmith showing flashes in single coverage. Derrick White blocked his game-tying three-point attempt late in that game. 

In November, Nesmith took to Instagram this winter to blast a Bleacher Report post from when the Brogdon trade originally happened that described him as a piece of string and a paperclip (Daniel Theis, Nesmith, a first-round pick that became Jarace Walker and multiple minimum contracts went to Indiana in the deal). S*** aged well, ain't it, Nesmith captioned it. 

"Super proud of Aaron for his growth," Brown said. "Seems like he found himself in the league. I remember we used to work out together, me, him and Joe, over here on one of the side baskets." 

Nesmith said he saved the post to his phone for motivation to enter the season with 26 points and nine rebounds in the second game of the season at Cleveland. Rick Carlisle noted his ability to move well within the Pacers' system, a dependable drive game and continuing to get comfortable with making the simple plays with what can be an overwhelming pace. He called Nesmith an amazing person, flying down to South Carolina to his family's home there to get to know Nesmith when he arrived in the trade. 

Recognizing his role after being the centerpiece at Vanderbilt who Jerry Stackhouse called plays for also keyed his improvement, shifting to read-and-react decision making and having shots emerge from unpredictable situations. Nesmith signed a three-year, $33 million extension with Indiana last summer. 

"As he's been getting a better and better feel for that, his game just keeps going up," Carlisle said. "I never pictured him being a four man when the trade happened, but as things have evolved, he has the size and strength, the physical strength. He's fearless. He can sit down and take some of these big physical challenges and he's a good blockout guy. He ended up starting a majority of (the first season) as our four man ... he can really play two, three and four. His versatility, his commitment, an amazing team guy, a constant energy giver, has made him a valuable part of our future." 

For Brissett, who followed an even less straightforward path from college as an undrafted free agent, Boston forced him to further grow as a player with limited on-ball opportunities. That led him to offensive rebounding, where he thrived in his spot opportunities to play when Porziņģis or Horford sat out. The locker room fit Brissett too, as he's become Tatum's friend, the team's de-factor videographer with his Brissy TV YouTube channel and an energetic perimeter defender. His entry into Game 2 injected some life into the Celtics' defense as they held the Pacers to an 0-for-8 start to the second quarter that sparked a 17-0 run. 

Brissett finished the game +18, the first Boston player to do that in under 13 minutes since Jonas Jerebko did it in 2017, while a cutting dunk following Brown's drive gave him his first real rotation playoff points. He's in line for a larger role going forward in the series with Luke Kornet doubtful and Jrue Holiday sick entering Saturday's Game 3. 

Tyrese Haliburton, who admitted Nesmith has a chip on his shoulder from being traded and what was said about him after speaking to BSJ in November, became close friends with Brissett, who was already a Pacers locker room staple when the Kings traded Haliburton there in 2022. Haliburton and Brissett texted throughout this season, with Haliburton recalling a promise he made to Brissett that they'd meet in the east finals that Brissett laughed off. They haven't spoken during the series so far, unlike when they ate together this year before their regular season meetings, but the combination of Brissett experiencing his first playoff run, Nesmith his first with a major role and the former players who built the groundwork of their careers on either side now facing off with rotation minutes. 

"It’s gonna be fun,” Brissett told Boston Sports Journal on Tuesday. “I’ve been really excited to be here, real fortunate, especially, to be on a team like this. At this point, we’ve seen (Indiana) play two full series now, obviously we played them five times throughout the year, so we know them pretty well, just like how they know us ... I prepare like I could always be in the game ... I just trust the coaches and I feel like they trust me whenever they want to put me in.”

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Boston (leads 2-0 vs. IND): Two wins from the NBA Finals with Kristaps Porziņģis' return looming as soon as Game 4 on Monday. Jaylen Brown secured that advantage by hitting a last-second three to force overtime in Game 1 following his game-saving forced turnover on the previous in-bounds. Brown went on to score 40 points in Game 2 as he improved to 24.8 PPG on 54.4% shooting this postseason. He's the frontrunner for east finals MVP as Jayson Tatum's shooting struggles continue, now 26.6% from deep in the playoffs despite scoring 10 points in overtime during Game 1 and closing strong in Game 2. Luke Kornet left Thursday's win with a left wrist sprain, placing his status for Game 3 on Saturday at 8:30 EST in doubt. Oshae Brissett played his first real playoff minutes in relief of Kornet, finishing a +18 against his former team in an ultra-small lineup. 

Tatum made All-NBA First Team for the third straight season. Brown narrowly missed out on the third team behind Tyrese Haliburton and Devin Booker. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White both made Second Team All-Defense. 

Charlotte: A mother is suing LaMelo Ball for allegedly striking her son with his vehicle while he was seeking an autograph following a game in October, seeking roughly $25,000 in damages over foot and back injuries suffered. Ball wasn't visible in Boston while teammates Mark Williams and Brandon Miller attended Celtics-Pacers Game 2 in support of incoming coach Charles Lee. Miller nearly joined Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama with unanimous First Team All-Rookie status if not for Stan Van Gundy (2nd team) and Kendrick Perkins leaving him off their ballots. 

Chicago: Lonzo Ball said he expects to return for opening night, 2024-25 after receiving a rare cartilage donation for an injury that stretches back to his torn meniscus with the Lakers in 2018. A re-injury in 2022 led to surgery and deterioration that left him without any cartilage, creating the complications that left him out of the last 2.5 seasons. 

Cleveland: Fired JB Bickerstaff after four seasons and two early playoff exits since Donovan Mitchell's arrival. The Cavaliers now expect to offer Mitchell a $200-million extension, according to Brian Windhorst, with Adrian Wojnarowski noting Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as a possible replacement. Cavs officials debated Bickerstaff's future in the weeks since Boston defeated Cleveland, 4-1, with disagreements in philosophy including minutes, statements to the media and practice strategies frustrating the team. Bickerstaff, to his credit, built one of the best defenses in the NBA and Rick Carlisle noted before Celtics-Pacers Game 2 that Cleveland pioneered the growing trend of playing two big men together. As for Jarrett Allen, who reportedly frustrated some in the organization for not playing through a bruised rib, but GM Koby Altman characterized his rib as broken this week. 

“You don’t have an option to rehab but you have an option to play,” teammate Marcus Morris said on FanDuel. “I can’t speak on how bad it was for Jarrett. If you put me in that same position, do I play? Yes. I can’t say how his body felt. Orlando was a very physical series, so I wasn’t surprised he didn’t come back in that one. He got hit one more time and it could have been different. A little bit surprised about the Boston one. I think Boston is not as physical, more just talented and skillful guys.”

Dallas (leads 2-0 vs. MIN): Two wins from their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011, which would be a staggering accomplishment for Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving less than two years into their partnership. Dončić hit a game-winning three over Rudy Gobert to steal Game 2 on the road after a 24-point Irving first half on 11-for-14 shooting set the tone for the series in Game 1, Irving exhausting Anthony Edwards with offense. Irving finished 1-for-9, but Dončić picked him up with 19 points on 50% shooting. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II combined for 19 points and 20 rebounds on Friday, Dallas' underrated threat to Boston in a hypothetical Finals series. The Mavs live by the pick-and-roll with Dončić and the Mavs' three big men, though PJ Washington began the third round 2-for-12 from three. 

Denver (lost 3-4 vs. MIN): The Nuggets will not repeat as champions, allowing for a sixth straight new NBA champion which last happened between 1975-80. Michael Porter Jr. placed the loss on himself after a difficult postseason, which Michael Malone disagreed with. Denver had a 3-2 series lead and led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter at home. Minutes and fatigue admittedly caught up to the Nuggets as Malone expressed some regret about going all out for the west's top seed, only to fall short and line up against Minnesota in the second round anyway. Jamal Murray shot 40.3% during the series and struggled throughout the playoffs through a calf injury, while Peyton Watson, Justin Holiday and Christian Braun provided little off the Denver bench. Porter shot 37.1% and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished 41.9% FG, while Nikola Jokić averaged 40.0 minutes per game. 

Detroit: Hired Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon as their president of basketball operations, a role last filled for the Pistons by Stan Van Gundy while he was head coach. GM Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams remain for now, but Langdon will have say over their futures. The Pistons fell short in their push to hire Bucks and Wolves leaders Jon Horst and Tim Connolly, so while Langdon doesn't arrive as their first choice, he comes from an organization led by David Griffin that has drafted well and assembled one of the deeper rosters in the NBA to this point, priorities for Detroit's future. He joined New Orleans in 2019-20 after spending 2016-19 as Brooklyn's assistant GM and beginning his front-office career as a Spurs scout. 

Indiana (down 0-2 vs. BOS): Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) left Game 2 against the Celtics with a hamstring injury in the same leg that cost him a significant part of his regular season. His status for Game 3 and the rest of the series is now in doubt, the third straight lead star Boston has seen go down leading up to or during their playoff series. The Pacers already squandered a massive opportunity in Game 1, leading by three points with seconds remaining before Andrew Nembhard in-bounded the ball off Pascal Siakam for the key turnover that allowed Jaylen Brown to tie the game and win in overtime. Siakam has thrived against Boston's drop defense, averaging 26.0 PPG through the first two games on 62.5% shooting and starting 12-for-14 in Game 1, but like with Myles Turners' hot, the Celtics mixed in Jayson Tatum in coverage on Siakam to slow him late in a runaway Boston win. Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell will share point guard responsibilities if Haliburton is out. Rick Carlisle admitted fatigue in benching the Pacers' starters early on Thursday. 

Clippers: Remain without a contract extension for Paul George, who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but Shams Charania has reported that the belief is that George will remain with the team. The Clippers had, according to previous reports, balked at offering George max money, so it's feasible that his willingness to go to free agency and talk to teams like the Sixers who have cap space in July could serve as leverage on a Clippers team that's grown extraordinarily expensive, but needs to retain its stars as it moves into and tries to sell interest in the Intuit Dome and the team in general after five straight disappointing seasons around their star wings. James Harden also needs to get paid, and while Kawhi Leonard took slightly less money in his extension, LA is about to lock into one of the most expensive rosters in American sports history that hasn't come close to a title. 

Lakers: Shams Charania said that ESPN broadcaster JJ Redick is considered the frontrunner to replace Darvin Ham as Lakers head coach, a bold choice given Redick's lack of professional coaching experience. Reports have also noted that LeBron James is not involved in the hiring process, which is difficult to imagine given he and Redick's relationship and media partnership that emerged into the spring. Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski, Redick's college coach, has advised the Lakers through the process and a face-to-face meeting with the team this week might've vaulted Redick over other early reported candidates like Celtics assistant Sam Cassell and former Hornets head coach James Borrego. James' agent Rich Paul began talking about the star's future, his son Bronny entering the NBA Draft and the Lakers' head coaching search this week.

"LeBron said he wanted to play with his son. Bronny can't do anything about that. And that's nothing we should push back on. If he wants to play with his son, that's that. But again, I have a job to do representing Bronny and LeBron," Paul said. "LeBron's season's over. I'm focused on Bronny and the rest of our draft class. If it aligns where he can play with his dad, great. Am I necessarily focused on that? No, not at all. I'm focused on a team-plan investment and a seriousness as it pertains to fit and opportunity. We know that there's gonna be some development necessary, but what does that actually look like? The teams I've talked to know exactly where I stand. I'm not going to bulls*** around in this process. We're going to execute our plan." 

Miami: League executives believe Jimmy Butler will remain with the Heat, according to Jake Fischer, though that future remains murky, Fischer wrote. Between Pat Riley's critical comments toward him following the season, Butler's sporadic availability and reports that he and the Heat might not be on the same page, it's possible that departure comes sooner rather than later. The Heat only have to extend Butler for two years, given the over-38 rule limiting a longer deal, but even that might be a reach that Miami doesn't want to commit to given the disappointing regular seasons they've had of late with him. Butler's ties to Joel Embiid as a former teammate and Daryl Morey's past interest in him with Houston, along with Sixers' cap space, could make that a destination for him eventually. 

Minnesota (down 0-2 vs. DAL): Anthony Edwards, who committed to guarding Kyrie Irving to begin the west finals, hit a wall at home through the first two games. He shot 33.3% from the field and scored 21 points in 40 minutes during Game 2, a one-point loss where Naz Reid missed a good look at the buzzer behind the line for the win after starting 7-for-8 from three. Jaden McDaniels shot 1-for-6 in the loss while Karl-Anthony Towns sat for most of the fourth quarter with Reid rolling, Towns finishing 4-for-16 as part of a 41.2% Minnesota effort. The Wolves entered the series and both games as favorites, and it's difficult to rule them out after playing so close while Edwards struggled immensely. Rudy Gobert received scrutiny for his defense on Luka Dončić during the game-winner, but it's curious why he was allowed to switch out on Dončić in single coverage in the first place. 

New York (lost 3-4 vs. IND): Jalen Brunson suffered a broken left hand with Game 7 falling out of reach late last Sunday, a crushing end to a team already devastated by injuries to OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Bojan Bogdanovic and Julius Randle that led to them losing a 3-2 lead over the Pacers in the second round. Anunoby (hamstring) tried to play, unable to get up and down the floor during an opening sequence before he sat and did not return. Josh Hart played 37 minutes through an abdominal strain suffered in Game 6, managing only 10 points on 3-for-9 shooting as New York lost 130-109. As an important offseason begins to build on this year's success, Fred Katz reported the Knicks are not actively shopping Randle in trade talks. 

Oklahoma City: The NBA ended its investigation into Josh Giddey's alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor after police wrapped theirs without any findings, Giddey describing a difficult season playing through the rumors in the aftermath of Oklahoma City's loss to the Mavericks in six games in round two. The Thunder bench Giddey, who struggled immensely in the series, and while his shooting struggles weren't the lone reason for the team's offensive letdown, he'll likely become the center of the team's attempts to consolidate and improve the roster around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this summer. Alexander-Walker was the best player on either side in the series after his MVP runner-up season, averaging 32.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 7.3 APG on 50.7% shooting. The Thunder have the No. 12 overall pick in this year's draft too via Houston from the Russell Westbrook trade. 

Philadelphia: League sources, via Jake Fischer, expect the 76ers to focus on acquiring a star talent alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Kevin O'Connor noted that the Sixers believe they have a real chance to sign potential free agent Paul George, while OG Anunoby presents an expensive backup plan despite expectations that he remains in New York in free agency. Pascal Siakam, another free agent wing, is widely expected to re-sign with the Pacers. That leaves Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram, currently signed with their teams, DeMar Derozan and one of the Cavs' back court of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland that's expected to break up this summer. Klay Thompson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could give the team large, short-term salaries to maintain flexibility should they strike out, while Zach LaVine and Kyle Kuzma's longer contracts make them less likely. 

Sacramento: Head coach Mike Brown and the Kings remain apart on extension talks just two summers following him winning coach of the year. Sacramento took a slight step back by losing in the play-in tournament, but statistically produced similar to their breakout 2022-23 season, while Domantas Sabonis represented the team on Third Team All-NBA. While massive coach salaries like Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra and Monty Williams' massive deals have increased the cost of signing coaches significantly, it's difficult to imagine the Kings improving while paying less. Even Mike Budenholzer received $10-million per year after the Bucks fired him in 2023.