The Lakers missed out on Andrew Nembhard, and it’s looking like a costly mistake.
When the Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2022 NBA draft, they were working with limited options. Their first-round pick had already been shipped to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis trade.
All they had left was the 35th overall selection in the second round.
The team had their sights set on Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard, according to Lakers insider Jovan Buha. But the Indiana Pacers snatched Nembhard with the 31st pick, forcing LA to pivot to Michigan State’s Max Christie instead.
That decision is looking more consequential by the day.
Nembhard has blossomed into a key player for Indiana, appearing in 208 games and starting 175 of them over three seasons. The 25-year-old just had his best year yet, starting a career-high 65 games while averaging 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Meanwhile, Christie’s Lakers career never really took off.
After three-and-a-half seasons of limited playing time in LA, Christie was included in the blockbuster trade package that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers at last season’s trade deadline.
The move to Dallas might have been the best thing for Christie’s career. He finally got meaningful minutes with the Mavericks, appearing in 32 games with 11 starts and averaging 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 30.4 minutes per game.
He’s expected to be a solid bench contributor for Jason Kidd’s team next season.
But Nembhard’s stock continues to rise.
With Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton set to miss the entire 2025-26 season due to a torn Achilles, coach Rick Carlisle has already named Nembhard as the team’s starting point guard. Bennedict Mathurin will slide into Nembhard’s shooting guard spot.
It’s a huge opportunity for the former Gonzaga standout to showcase his skills in an expanded role.
As Buha put it, there’s an “alternate universe” where Nembhard is wearing purple and gold right now. Instead, the Lakers are left wondering what might have been if the Pacers hadn’t beaten them to the punch by just four picks.
Sometimes in the NBA draft, the ones that got away hurt the most.
