He played college basketball for the Wyoming Cowboys, where he was considered one of the best big men in the Mountain West Conference[1] after leading the 2014–15 team to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002.

[5] Shortly after the draft selection was announced, an old tweet from 2012 by Nance resurfaced, in which he referenced then-teammate Kobe Bryant's infamous 2003 rape incident.

[14] On October 26, 2016, Nance made his season debut for the Lakers, recording five points, five rebounds and two assists in a 120–114 win over the Houston Rockets.

[22] On October 19, 2017, Nance made his season debut for the Lakers, where he recorded a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 92–108 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

[27] On February 6, 2018, two days before he was traded, Nance played his last game as a Laker, where he recorded six points, ten rebounds and a steal in a 112–93 win over the Phoenix Suns.

[28] On February 8, 2018, Nance was traded, along with Jordan Clarkson, to his hometown team the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a 2018 first-round draft pick.

[30] On March 5, 2018, he posted career highs with 22 points and 15 rebounds in his first start for Cleveland, as the Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons 112–90.

[31] On March 13, 2018, in a 129–107 win over the Phoenix Suns, Nance had only four points, ending his career-best string of seven consecutive double-digit scoring games.

[33][34] On December 18, 2018, he had 15 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, six assists and the first game-winning shot of his pro career to give the Cavaliers a 92–91 win over the Indiana Pacers.

[38] On February 12, 2020, Nance scored a career-high 23 points, alongside twelve rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks, in a 127–105 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

On January 7, 2021, Nance scored a season-high 18 points, alongside three rebounds, four assists and three steals, in a 94–90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

[52] Nance Jr.'s older sister, Casey, played basketball at Revere High School and for the NCAA Division I Dayton Flyers for four years.

[55] In June 2022, Pete Nance decided to transfer to the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program with his extra year of Covid eligibility.

[56] Outside of the NBA, Nance supports soccer club Leeds United and became part owner in 2023 as a member of the 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers.