The Dallas Mavericks have made a clear decision on Ryan Nembhard, and it keeps the former Gonzaga guard in place for another year.
On Monday, Dallas exercised Nembhard’s team option, locking in the second season of his NBA run even as the franchise moves through a major reset. The Mavericks now have a new president in Masai Ujiri, a recently appointed general manager in Mike Schmitz and a first-year coach in Dusty May.
Nembhard’s path with Dallas has already taken a few turns. He entered the league in 2025 on a two-way deal after going undrafted, but the Mavericks moved quickly to make him part of the roster picture. After seeing enough from the steady playmaker, they converted that agreement into a standard contract during his rookie season.
That confidence was backed up by his production. Nembhard appeared in 60 games and made 27 starts as a rookie, averaging 6.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game. He shot 41.5% from the field, 35.6% from 3-point range and 80.6% from the free throw line.
His biggest night came in the Mavericks’ season-ending 149-128 win over Chicago, when he handed out 23 assists. That set a franchise record for assists in a regulation game and left him two shy of the overall single-game mark of 25, which Jason Kidd set in a double-overtime game in 1996.
Nembhard had targeted Dallas as his preferred free-agent destination once the second round ended, and he signed with the Mavericks immediately. The team later waived veteran guard Tyus Jones in February to clear a full-time roster spot, then converted Nembhard’s two-way deal for the final two months of the season.
The 23-year-old is now in Toronto with his older brother Andrew, the former Gonzaga standout who is now with the Indiana Pacers, as Canada gets ready for upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifying games. Kyle Wiltjer, another former Zag, is also on Canada’s roster.
After that national team stint, Nembhard is expected to head to Las Vegas and join Dallas for NBA Summer League.
May’s arrival as head coach came earlier this month in a notable move by the Mavericks, who replaced Kidd with the former Michigan coach. May’s Wolverines beat Gonzaga 101-61 in Las Vegas during their run to the national championship this past April in Indianapolis.
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The bigger question is whether Wicks will actually be available when that season begins. Because of eligibility rules, he will need NCAA waiver approval to play next season, which leaves a familiar kind of roster uncertainty hanging over an otherwise encouraging addition. For Gonzaga, it is another reminder that roster management now includes not just talent evaluation, but waiting to see which pieces are ultimately cleared to fit together. [Read more 🡒]