Dallas Mavericks lands CBB's top passer to bolster backcourt depth

In just about every year, Gonzaga Basketball has a legit NBA Draft prospect. This year, all eyes were on Ryan Nembhard, a four-year starter with both the Bulldogs and Creighton Bluejays, scoring in double figures every season. After transferring to Gonzaga, Nembhard became one of the top passers in the country, including leading all of college basketball with 9.8 apg this past season.

Ryan, the younger brother of current Indiana Pacer starting guard Andrew Nembhard, has a different draft profile. The biggest negative against him is that he’s barely around 6’0, which is small for a modern-day point guard. However, besides the elite passing ability, Ryan improved in all other aspects of his game, including shooting a career-high 40% from three-point range.

Nembhard was a projected second-round NBA Draft pick, but there was always a chance that he could go undrafted. That’s what ultimately happened, as the veteran point guard wasn’t among the 59 selections. Still, a case can be made that it’s better to be undrafted and get to pick your preferred team as a free agent instead of just being forced to be in a spot that doesn’t have a ton of playing time available.

That’s what Nembahrd did, signing a free agent deal with the Dallas Mavericks. They only had one pick, and that was at No. 1, taking Cooper Flagg. The perimeter is where the franchise has more needs, with starter Kyrie Irving out for the first few months of next season due to an injury suffered this past year, with a return date around January.

The other ball-handlers on the roster include Dante Exum and Brandon Williams. So even when Irving returns, there’s a path to Nembhard being a backup option. That’s what Andrew Nembhard did years ago before growing into a starter; maybe Ryan can follow the same path.