This summer, the Dallas Mavericks added numerous young talents to their pipeline. While Cooper Flagg has rightfully garnered most of the attention, another prospect received high praise from a member of the front office.
After going undrafted earlier this summer, the Mavericks signed guard Ryan Nembhard to a two-way contract. He is the younger brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard and was one of the top facilitators in college basketball.
Nembhard is an older prospect, spending four years in college before making the jump to the pros. As a senior, he averaged 10.5 PPG, 9.8 APG, and 1.7 SPG across 35 appearances at Gonzaga. While these numbers weren't enough to get him drafted, it didn't stop Dallas from taking a flyer on him.
While speaking anonymously with Spotrac's Keith Smith, one Mavericks executive touched on Nembhard's abilities at the point guard position. They are high on his potential and feel he could end up being one of the biggest steals in the draft this year.
“We were so excited to get him as a two-way guy. He’s so damn tough. A lot like his brother (Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard) in that way. We love Miles (Kelly) too. We feel like we’re starting to get really good development out of two-way process now,” a Mavericks front office executive said.
During his brief run in Summer League, Nembahrd showed he can be an effective playmaker in the NBA. Playing in three games, he averaged 11.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 6.7 APG.
Seeing that the Mavericks need viable options at point guard with Kyrie Irving out, Jason Kidd could give Nembhard opportunities early in the year. If he can make the most of his time on the court, it could result in the front office converting him to a standard NBA contract.