Celtics gave up too soon on playoff star and now he's everything they need

The Boston Celtics may have given up too early on Indiana Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith, and now he's one of the biggest playoff stars in the NBA. Nesmith just exploded in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, pouring in 30 points on 8-of-9 shooting from three to down the New York Knicks in an epic comeback victory.

He made five threes in the final 3:15 of game time and six in the last five minutes - all without a miss. The Pacers were down by 14 points with less than three minutes to go and still losing by nine with under a minute remaining. Yet thanks to Nesmith, and a monster shot by Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers still won the game and took a 2-0 series lead.

Perhaps the Celtics may regret giving up on Nesmith right about now.

Aaron Nesmith would be perfect for Celtics right now

Nesmith was an elite three-point shooter in his short time at Vanderbilt, and it looks like that wasn't a fluke. He's quickly turning into one of the best shooters in the league during these playoffs, but he just didn't get the minutes he needed in Boston (and understandably so).

But Nesmith is so much more than just a shooter. He's also a top-notch defender who the Pacers trust to take on some of the biggest matchups in the game. Before he got into foul trouble, he was the primary defender on Jalen Brunson, and he did a solid job.

That type of 3-and-D player is exactly who the Celtics should want playing alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And at just 25 years old, Nesmith still has plenty of upside left to uncover. He's still developing and improving.

The Nesmith trade was still worth it

There's still plenty of context needed with the Nesmith regret, though. He was dealt in the trade that got the Celtics Malcolm Brogdon. While that move didn't exactly pan out the way Boston may have wanted - though Brogdon did win Sixth Man of the Year before struggling through an injury in the 2023 NBA Playoffs - it was the next deal that made it all worth it.

Brogdon was included in the trade that brought Jrue Holiday to Boston, and the veteran guard was a key piece to the Celtics' 2024 NBA Championship run. That title alone makes the Nesmith trade well worth it.

Still, seeing Nesmith thrive in the playoffs is enough to make Celtics fans think about what could have been if he had stuck around. (Even though he almost certainly wouldn't have been given the minutes he needed to develop if he had stayed with the Celtics.)