The Los Angeles Lakers have already spent most of their best draft capital building around Luka Doncic. That makes the next move harder — and more important.
If Rob Pelinka is going to use the Lakers’ remaining meaningful draft chip, the 2032 first-round pick swap, it should be for a player who can start, defend in the playoffs and fit without the ball.
Aaron Nesmith checks those boxes.
The Trade Proposal
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Aaron Nesmith
Indiana Pacers receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap
It is an aggressive offer for a non-star. But Nesmith is exactly the type of complementary piece Los Angeles still lacks: a proven two-way wing who can defend high-level scorers, stretch the floor and stay on the court in high-pressure postseason games.
Why Aaron Nesmith Makes Sense for Lakers
Nesmith’s value goes well beyond age and positional fit.
The 26-year-old was a major part of Indiana’s unlikely run to the 2025 NBA Finals, starting all 23 playoff games as the Pacers came within one victory of a championship before losing Game 7 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nesmith averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game during that postseason while shooting 47.2% from the field and 49.2% from 3-point range. His combination of physical defense and efficient shooting gave Indiana a low-maintenance starter who could impact games without dominating possessions.
He also produced one of the biggest performances of the Pacers’ run, scoring a playoff career-high 30 points and hitting eight 3-pointers in an Eastern Conference Finals victory.
That run ended one victory short of a championship.
Indiana pushed Oklahoma City to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals before losing 103-91. Nesmith remained an important part of Rick Carlisle’s rotation throughout the series, averaging 9.4 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 47.2% from 3-point range over seven games. His 10-point, 12-rebound double-double helped the Pacers steal Game 1 on the road.
That experience matters for a Lakers team whose championship window is tied directly to Doncic’s prime.
Los Angeles does not need another scorer who requires 15 shots a night. It needs players who can survive playoff matchups around Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler.
Nesmith has already shown he can do exactly that.
Why Pacers Could Listen
Indiana would not move Nesmith casually.
He signed a $40.4 million extension that pays him $11 million this season before jumping to roughly $19 million next year, and the Pacers clearly value what he brings.
But the Pacers already have considerable money committed to Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac and Andrew Nembhard. Nesmith’s salary jumps sharply after this season, while Indiana also has Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy competing for forward minutes.
Knecht would give Indiana a younger, cheaper shooter with two more controllable seasons. Vanderbilt could replace some of Nesmith’s defensive utility in the short term.
The real prize, however, would be the 2032 first-round swap.
Los Angeles has already sent Utah unprotected firsts in 2031 and 2033 and swaps in 2028 and 2030 in the Walker Kessler deal. That makes 2032 one of the Lakers’ last meaningful pieces of distant draft leverage.
Indiana would be betting that a swap six years from now becomes more valuable than it looks today.
For the Lakers, the calculation is simpler.
Nesmith would not arrive as another scorer who needs touches. He would arrive to defend, run, shoot and make Doncic’s life easier.
That is exactly the type of player worth spending scarce trade capital on.
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