Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith heard the chatter when he was traded. The former Celtic was involved in a deal for reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon last year, and certain outlets claimed the Celtics pulled off an absolute steal without giving much up.

Nesmith never forgot those opinions, as he took time to call out his critics after dropping a career-high 26 points on Saturday night during a 125-1113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Instagram, Nesmith posted a screenshot from a Bleacher Report post that joked about his underwhelming trade value, per Pacers reporter Alex Golden:

Aaron Nesmith trade has been a win-win

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In reality, the trade has worked well for both sides. The Pacers got a scorer off the bench who put up a career-high 10.1 points per game in his first season in Indiana. On the other hand, the Celtics were able to get a solid year out of Brogdon and then packaged him in a trade this offseason for two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday.

To start the season, the Celtics and Pacers are both 2-0 and atop the Eastern Conference standings. The C's posted two close wins against contending teams in the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. Conversely, Indiana has notched two double-digit wins over the Washington Wizards and a short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers squad.

If Aaron Nesmith wants revenge on the franchise that drafted him 14th overall in 2020, he won't have to wait long. The Celtics and Pacers will square off this Wednesday in Beantown. Although Nesmith had just three points the last time they met, he'll be a player to watch for in the battle of the currently undefeated teams.