Aaron Nesmith

Following a couple of unproductive seasons in Boston, Nesmith turned things around last year, putting up career-high numbers across the board for the Pacers. In 24.9 minutes per night, he averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.6 three-pointers. While this could point to an increased role for Nesmith once again this season, his path to minutes remains clouded, to say the least. The Pacers brought in Obi Toppin from New York, as well as Jarace Walker via the NBA Draft. Both players will take playing time away from Nesmith. Given he was barely a top 200 player last year, it's hard to see Nesmith being anything more than a deeper league target.

Nesmith was a non-factor during the 2021-22 season, but after being traded to Indiana, he could see a more consistent role coming his way. The Pacers are entering a rebuild and so the coaching staff are likely to experiment with their rotations throughout the season. Thus far in his career, Nesmith hasn't sniffed fantasy relevancy. While he will get an opportunity to impress this season, it is still hard to see him being anything more than a very, very deep consideration.

Despite appearing in only 46 games during his rookie season, Nesmith showed glimmers of hope. The first-round pick surprised some with extra defensive intensity and raised his three-point shooting gradually throughout the season, ending with a 37.0 percent mark from behind the arc. The problem is that Nesmith and fellow first-round pick Romeo Langford are fairly redundant wings on a squad with All-Star Jaylen Brown and defensive-stopper Marcus Smart. At some point, the Celtics will need to prioritize either Nesmith's or Langford's development, as there really are not enough minutes for both, barring injuries. Nesmith is the better floor spacer, which probably gives him an edge over Langford. Stars Brown and Jayson Tatum could use a dead-eye sniper for easy catch-and-shoot opportunities, and Nesmith has the chance to fill that role. Remember, Nesmith hit 52.2 percent of his three-point attempts during his last year at Vanderbilt. In addition to Langford, Nesmith will also battle Josh Richardson for wing minutes. Nesmith has a modest opportunity to improve on last year's 14.5 minutes per game, but a stacked depth chart is working against the NBA sophomore.

The Celtics selected Nesmith with the 14th pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. Nesmith's appeal was obvious: he was the best college outside shooter in the country, hitting 52.2 percent of his three-pointers during his sophomore season at Vanderbilt. That accuracy and his 4.3 made three-pointers a game led the nation before he suffered a foot injury 14 games into the season. The 6-foot-6 wing also sports a 6-foot-10 wingspan, which helped him snag 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks that same season. With Gordon Hayward leaving Boston, the Celtic bench certainly has room for a scoring wing. If Nesmith can continue his catch-and-shoot success at the pro level, he could be an ideal fit with Boston's stars. The Celtics don't need Nesmith to lead them in scoring. But they can certainly use some scoring off the bench and complimentary pieces to play alongside Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown. A strong 3-and-D player like Nesmith could quickly earn minutes. A team can never have too many shooters. With Romeo Langford injured and Marcus Smart permanently in the starting lineup, Nesmith could be Boston's first scorer off the bench. Nesmith has the potential to lead a sturdy second unit that includes veterans Jeff Teague and Tristan Thompson.