With Indiana facing luxury tax pressure, analyst Zach Buckley suggests the Hawks secure Andrew Nembhard’s versatile playmaking and playoff experience to bolster their post-McCollum backcourt rotation.
The Atlanta Hawks have been urged to trade for Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.
NBA analyst Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes the Hawks should pursue a trade for Nembhard this offseason.
"If the Hawks made a checklist of their ideal backcourt addition, Nembhard might check all of them," Buckley wrote. "OK, maybe that's a tad hyperbolic for a 26-year-old All-Star, but think about it. He'd fit on or off the ball, a must for anyone joining this Jalen Johnson-driven roster. He can finish chances in the open court or help create them when things are slowed down. He plays both ends. He has high-level playoff experience. And despite offering plug-and-play ability, he still has plenty of room to grow with this core.
"About the only thing Nembhard doesn't offer is obvious availability. But Indiana is looming uncomfortably close to the luxury tax, and if it lands a high lottery pick, it might want to see if it could find a cheaper replacement for Tyrese Haliburton's backcourt partner."
Nembhard will make $19,550,160 next season and $20,998,320 in the 2027-28 season, the final year of his contract. The 26-year-old averaged 16.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game for the Pacers this season while shooting 44.2% from the field, 36.1% from beyond the arc and 82.5% from the free-throw line.
The Hawks lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs in six games. If Atlanta doesn't re-sign CJ McCollum this summer, the team will lose a chunk of scoring and playmaking.
Nembhard isn't a star, but he's a quality player who played a big role in the Pacers reaching the 2025 NBA Finals. Since Tyrese Haliburton will be back next season, it's possible Indiana may be open to trading Nembhard this summer.
In 265 NBA games, Nembhard has career averages of 11.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest. He doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, so he can't stop the Pacers from trading him if that's a route they choose to take.
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