Indiana Pacers players discuss the departure of Oshae Brissett, who heads to Boston Celtics
LAS VEGAS — Oshae Brissett is no longer with the Indiana Pacers. The 25-year old forward agreed to a two-year deal with the Boston Celtics earlier in the offseason, which ended his three-season tenure in Indiana.
Brissett averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 153 games for the blue and gold. His role slowly shrank from year-to-year as different power forwards came into the Pacers organization, but he was a solid role player during his three-year stint with the franchise.
"Oshae plays with great energy. He's a gamer as well," Pacers Summer League head coach Jannero Pargo said of Brissett earlier this week when asked about what he will bring to Boston.
The Pacers signed Bruce Brown, traded for Obi Toppin, and drafted Jarace Walker in the offseason. They also traded for Jordan Nwora just before the trade deadline back in February. All of those moves combined meant that limited opportunities would be available for Brissett with Indiana. It made sense for him to pursue chances elsewhere.
He played an important role on the last Pacers team that sniffed the postseason. Brissett scored a team-high 23 points in a play-in game victory over the Charlotte Hornets in 2021, pushing the team to the final round of the play-in tournament.
"A tough shot maker, great teammate. He's a guy that's gonna help you and not hurt you," Pargo said.
This past year, Brissett averaged 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He made just 38.6% of his shots as his efficiency tumbled. But his defense was solid, and he was often called on to defend opposing wings.
His low-mistakes play style made Brissett valuable. He rarely turned the ball over and was almost always in the right spots. Despite struggling with accuracy this past year, he was still a contributor when called upon.
"I think they can expect a hard worker, amazing teammate. A guy who puts the team before himself," Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard said of what Celtics fans can expect from Brissett. "I think he's going to be a great energy guy for them. Play both sides of the floor. For a playoff team like them, he's going to be exciting to see."
Nembhard started alongside Brissett in Toronto back in March, and that game featured the first instance in NBA history where three Canadian-born players started together. Those two were joined by Bennedict Mathurin in the opening five and led the blue and gold to a four-point win.
Brissett's best performance for the Pacers was a 31-point, 10-rebound outing against the Raptors in 2021. He canned five threes that night, a skill he worked on during this time with the blue and gold.
"The shooting. Being able to switch one-through-four defensively. Being able to attack the rim, draw fouls," Pargo said of ways that Brissett improved. "[Finishing] with either hand. I think he's grown a lot, and I think he's going to be a great addition for the Celtics."
Indiana center Isaiah Jackson, meanwhile, pointed out Brissett's attitude and his bench celebrations as an asset for the now-Celtics forward. Brissett always rooted on his teammates, even when he himself wasn't getting much playing time.
"A lot of energy. Last year, if you guys watched our games, he was all over the place," Jackson added of Brissett's skills.
Indiana filled their power forward depth well in the offseason, but Brissett was a win for their G League and development program — he started in the organization with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. How, he will give Boston important forward depth as they chase a title.
- Tyrese Haliburton commits to people. Now, he's committed to the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Bruce Brown can be whatever the Indiana Pacers need him to be. CLICK HERE.
- Obi Toppin discusses joining the Indiana Pacers, how he will fit in, and more. CLICK HERE.
- Jarace Walker exclusive: On his early time with the Indiana Pacers, gaming, development, and more. CLICK HERE.
- Follow AllPacers on Facebook: All Pacers SI
- Follow AllPacers on Twitter: @SIPacers
