The Denver Nuggets may still have one more roster wrinkle to sort out before training camp gets rolling.
Ryan Nembhard, the 23-year-old guard expected to be waived by the Charlotte Hornets, has surfaced as a name to watch for Denver. According to The Stein Line’s Marc Stein, the Nuggets are among the top teams in the mix for the two-way guard.
"Ryan Nembhard is expected to have multiple suitors on potential two-ways if he is indeed waived by Charlotte. sources say, with the Nuggets prime among them,"
That’s the basic outline, but the fit is where things get interesting. Denver already has its two-way spots occupied by KJ Simpson, Bryce Hopkins, and Cam Whitmore, so any pursuit of Nembhard would have to come with a roster move or a different type of deal.
Nembhard’s case starts with what he did in Dallas. After going undrafted, he landed with the Mavericks and outplayed expectations right away, even starting 27 games on a two-way contract. In those starts, he put up 9.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 40.4% from three.
For a player listed at 5'11", the concerns are obvious, but so is the production. He’s already shown he can handle NBA minutes, and Nuggets fans have seen him up close in the worst possible way. Last season, he went off for 28 points and 10 assists against Denver, hitting 12-14 from the floor and 4-5 from deep.
He was cooking everyone 😮💨 https://t.co/G3liujRc64 pic.twitter.com/5iAHERPzqC
That wasn’t a nightly thing - it was his only 20-point game - but he also turned in another eye-catching line with 15 points and 23 assists against the Chicago Bulls.
So the question for Denver is simple: does Nembhard deserve more than a look?
If the interest is real, the Nuggets have two paths. They could sign him to their final standard contract, or they could move on from two-way guard KJ Simpson and hand that spot to Nembhard. A training camp deal would seem like the first step either way, giving him a chance to show he belongs before any bigger decision is made.
There’s plenty to like here. Nembhard is a slick playmaker, he’s only 23, and he’s already proven he can produce against NBA competition.
But he also brings the same issue Denver already faces with Tyus Jones and Simpson: size on one end, and the risk of being targeted on the other. He may not be as easy to hunt defensively as some players his size, but opponents will still test him.
That’s the balancing act. The Nuggets can see the upside, and they’d be smart to bring him into camp and let the competition sort itself out. If he earns it, they can always find a way to keep him.
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