Nesmith Lands Two-Year, $40.4M Deal; Coulibaly Out to Start Season; Bucks Cut Smith
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Indiana Pacers
Aaron Nesmith and the Pacers have agreed to a two-year, $40.4 million contract extension, agent Mike Lindeman told ESPN’s Shams Charania. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the new pact contains a trade kicker and is worth about $19.4 million in 2027-28 and $21 million in 2028-29—the most Indiana could offer on a two-year structure.
Nesmith, 26, has emerged as a top 3-and-D wing since arriving from Boston in 2022. He averaged 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting .500 from the field, .423 from three and .829 at the line last year, then hit nearly 49 percent of his postseason threes—best among players with at least 100 attempts, per ESPN Research. He joins Toumani Camara and A.J. Green as veterans who have secured new deals ahead of opening night.
Washington Wizards
Rising forward Bilal Coulibaly will miss the start of the season as he continues to rehab from right thumb surgery, head coach Brian Keefe told reporters, via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins. The 21-year-old tore a ligament playing for France at EuroBasket 2025 and underwent surgery on Sept. 12; the original timetable was six to eight weeks, putting his return at least a couple of weeks away.
The 6-foot-8 wing posted 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 33 minutes per game last season before a hamstring injury cut his rookie campaign short. While Coulibaly remains sidelined, guard AJ Johnson is set to debut Wednesday against Milwaukee after missing the preseason with a leg bruise.
Robbins also surveyed scouts about rookie Tre Johnson’s ceiling. One evaluator likened him to Tyler Herro and projected he could become a contender’s third-best player if his shooting keeps improving.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have finalized their regular-season roster, retaining Andre Jackson Jr. and waiving forward Tyler Smith, Shams Charania reported. Jackson’s strong preseason secured his spot and fully guarantees his $2.2 million salary for 2025-26.
Smith, the 33rd pick in the 2024 draft, will count $1.96 million against Milwaukee’s cap this season despite being released. The 20-year-old appeared in 23 NBA games as a rookie, averaging 2.9 points in 5.3 minutes, and spent additional time with the G League’s Wisconsin Herd. His contract runs through 2028, though the final two seasons are non-guaranteed. League sources told Jake Fischer (The Stein Line) that Smith is expected to draw interest for two-way deals in the coming days.
Source: Hoops Wire
