Andrew Nembhard, Pacers Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension – Football Insider

The Indiana Pacers have been busy this offseason strengthening their core. The team has reportedly agreed to terms with junior Andrew Nembhard on a three-year, $59 million contract extension. Indiana already extended its power forward, Pascal Siakam, earlier this offseason. With this latest move, it seems the team is ready to mold and cultivate a supporting cast around the star duo of Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton. Given the promise Andrew Nembhard showed last season for the Pacers, it makes sense why the organization wants him to play a key role for them over the next few seasons.

Indiana Pacers Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension Worth $59 Million

Power of Andrew Nembhard

Nembhard has shown strong potential this past season. He showed why the Pacers are the top forward which is the main reason Indiana gave him three years of his contract. Last year, Nembhard averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while averaging a 46.7 percent field goal percentage during the postseason. On top of this, he also shot 56.0 percent from the field to go along with a 48.3 percent three-point shooting percentage during the Eastern Conference Finals.

During the regular season, the previous 31St overall draft pick numbers of 9.2 points, 4.1 assists, 0.9 steals per game, and an effective field goal percentage of 55.7 percent while playing 25.0 minutes per game. Given Nembhard's ability to drive the lane and score with ease, some have compared him to Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks. He is a great threat from mid-range and will continue to develop into a formidable scorer which will give the Pacers another threat that will add to the team's already potent offense.

Indiana Looking to Strengthen Their Foundation for the Future

The Indiana Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year. While some luck and significant injuries played a role, the fact remains that Indiana still took care of business and made a deep playoff run in the Eastern Conference. The move to bring in Pascal Siakam was instrumental, and Tyrese Haliburton continues to thrive as one of the league's best generals. Indiana has a strong young core and if they play their cards right, they could be a fixture in the Eastern Conference postseason picture for years to come. Especially when players like Andrew Nembhard continue to improve year after year and take on more basketball responsibilities.