Six-for-One: Did the 2022 Celtics-Pacers Trade Turn Out to Be a True Win-Win?

When the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers finalized a six-for-one trade in the 2022 offseason, most of the NBA world had one reaction: robbery. The Celtics gave up Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, and a 2023 first-round pick to acquire Malcolm Brogdon. At the time, the consensus was clear—Boston just pulled off one of the most lopsided trades in recent memory.

Bleacher Report even posted a viral graphic mocking the trade haul, implying the Celtics got Brogdon for essentially "nothing." Given the context and timing, that reaction wasn't unfounded. Brogdon had just come off his worst season in years with the Pacers, averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists on inefficient shooting splits (44.8/31.2/85.6) and a true shooting percentage of just 55.7%. He was banged up, missing more than half the season, and looked like a depreciating asset with three years and $67.5 million remaining on his deal.

But Boston wasn’t gambling aimlessly. They had just fallen short in the NBA Finals, losing to the Warriors. One of their most glaring weaknesses in that series? A lack of playmaking and scoring versatility off the bench. Brogdon checked both boxes, and the Celtics bet that in a reduced role, with fewer demands and a stronger supporting cast, he could thrive. And he did.

In his first year in green, Brogdon came off the bench to average 14.9 points on a career-high 48.4% shooting from the field, along with 44.4% from three. He was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year and helped Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals. While the Celtics fell to the Heat in seven games, Brogdon’s addition had clearly moved the needle. Even more consequentially, Brogdon would later be included in the deal that landed Jrue Holiday—who played a key role in the Celtics’ 2024 championship run.

From a pure results perspective, that 2022 trade helped Boston win a title. That alone is usually enough to declare a win. But fast-forward three years, and the view from Indiana doesn’t look so bleak anymore. In fact, it’s starting to look like a masterstroke in its own right.

First, Indiana’s motivation was never purely transactional. The Brogdon deal was largely about clearing cap space and roster room to build around their rising star Tyrese Haliburton. Brogdon’s large contract was an impediment to a team in the early stages of a rebuild. Shedding him—and acquiring young assets and a first-rounder in the process—was a strategic pivot toward a long-term vision.

Most of the players Indiana received in the trade (Fitts, Morgan, and Stauskas) never played another NBA game. Theis, while once a functional role player in Boston’s 2022 Finals run, brought little to Indiana due to injury. He underwent knee surgery before the 2022–23 season began, played only seven games that year, and was waived early in the next season after just one appearance.

So the real meat of the return came down to Aaron Nesmith and that 2023 first-round pick.

Nesmith, the 14th pick in the 2020 draft, had floundered in Boston. In his final season there, he averaged just 3.8 points in 11 minutes per game on subpar shooting (39.6% FG, 27.0% from three). Labeled a 3-and-D prospect out of Vanderbilt, he had provided neither consistently. But in Indiana, with a clearer role and more opportunities, the story shifted.

In his first season with the Pacers, Nesmith became a full-time starter and averaged 10.1 points per game while shooting 36.6% from deep. Modest numbers, sure—but for a young role player still finding his footing, it was progress. Then came his breakout.

In the 2023–24 regular season, Nesmith posted 12.2 points per game and drilled 41.9% of his threes. His off-ball movement, perimeter defense, and timely shooting made him a key cog in Indiana’s surprisingly competitive campaign. More importantly, he played an instrumental role in helping the Pacers reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

While Nesmith did struggle at times in the 2024 playoffs—including a rough 3-of-16 shooting stretch from three against Boston in the East Finals—his development arc was undeniable. And then came this year—his real breakout.

Limited to 45 regular season games due to minor injuries, Nesmith nonetheless exploded in those he played. He averaged 12.0 points on an absurd 50.7/43.1/91.3 shooting line, translating to a true shooting percentage of 65.3%. Then the playoffs hit—and Nesmith hit another level.

Through the first two games of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, Nesmith was averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 54.1% from the field, 54.4% from three, and 90.5% from the line—good for a ludicrous 71.6% true shooting. His Game 1 performance was legendary: down 17 with six minutes left, Nesmith caught absolute fire, drilling six threes and scoring 20 points in the final frame to force overtime, where Indiana eventually stole the game.

In Game 2, he continued his high-efficiency contributions, notching 12 points in 32 minutes on 4-of-7 shooting. His +12 plus-minus trailed only Myles Turner (+17) and Pascal Siakam (+16) among Pacers players.

And then there’s the 2023 first-round pick. The Pacers used it to select Ben Sheppard, a sharpshooting guard who is already in Rick Carlisle’s playoff rotation. Though not a star, Sheppard has held his own in meaningful minutes, especially against the Knicks. In Game 1 of the East Finals, he didn’t score but registered a +14 plus-minus in the fourth quarter thanks to gritty defense on Jalen Brunson. In Game 2, he added six points on 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc in 13 minutes, sporting a team-best +8 among bench players.

Now, let's zoom out.

Boston got a Sixth Man of the Year in Brogdon, who later helped them land a championship-winning starter in Jrue Holiday. Indiana got a breakout two-way wing in Aaron Nesmith and a reliable rotation guard in Ben Sheppard. Both teams reached the Eastern Conference Finals. One team already won a title. The other might still get one.

At the time, the trade felt like daylight robbery. But three years later, with player development, team context, and evolving roles taken into account—it’s clear that both franchises extracted real value from the deal. It wasn’t a fleece. It wasn’t a heist.

It was a win-win.

Commentary:

This is what elite front office work looks like on both sides. Brad Stevens turned a distressed asset into a championship. Kevin Pritchard turned an underperforming prospect into a foundational piece. In an NBA landscape where trades are often judged too quickly and through a binary lens, this six-for-one deal is a masterclass in long-game thinking. Nesmith’s rise is a testament to the power of opportunity and patience, while Boston’s ring validates their aggressive win-now approach. Both teams gambled. Both hit. That’s rare. That’s beautiful. And that’s basketball.