Mavericks can't afford to ignore this crucial signing any longer

The Dallas Mavericks finagled their most unexpected win of the season on Monday night versus the Denver Nuggets, and while the Mavericks don't win without Anthony Davis' 32 points on 13-23 shooting from the field, the smallest player on the court had the biggest impact on either sideline tonight. That was none other than Ryan Nembhard, as the 5-foot-11 rookie poured in 28 points and 10 assists off 12-14 shooting from the field, proving he deserves a bigger role and contract in Dallas.

Obviously, one game isn't a tell-all for how a player will fare the rest of their career, but the reading has been in the tea leaves for Nembhard to have a breakout performance. Jason Kidd recently inserted him in the starting lineup because of how well his playmaking and court vision have accentuated Dallas' offense, and it paid off.

Nembhard showcased how polished a pull-up mid-range shooter he was in Summer League for Dallas, but when he's also shooting 4-5 from outside, as he did versus Denver on Monday, this opens up Dallas' offense tremendously. Nembhard came into the NBA already being a pro-ready playmaker, but with him holding his own defensively and proving he can get it going from a shooting perspective as he did on Monday, it bodes credence for him deserving a standard contract with the Mavs.

Why the Mavericks must convert Ryan Nembhard to a standard deal

Nembhard came into Dallas as an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract, and while he was recently injured with a knee sprain for a little stretch, he's taken the starting point guard role by the neck over the last three games. At 7-15, it's still unlikely the Mavericks are competitive in a tough Western Conference this season, but they are going to still try and win games until it's statistically detrimental to them, so converting Nembhard to a standard deal will be their best bet if they want to continue to fight for wins.

As of right now, Dallas can't waive anybody outright to convert Nembhard's deal, but there's undoubtedly some trades pending for the Mavericks ahead of this deadline, so an extra standard slot could open up for Nembhard if Dallas were to send out more players than they take in once the trade deadline rolls around. They can also explore waiving Dante Exum at the beginning of 2026, and the Mavericks need to do whatever they can to ensure Nembhard is a Maverick for years to come.

They struck gold by finding him, and one of their biggest priorities this season needs to be signing him to a standard deal.

Brandon Williams has proven to be a valuable fixture in Dallas' guard rotation going forward as well, but if Nembhard continues to shoot even half as well as he did versus Denver on Monday, the Mavericks will have a legitimate three-level scoring threat and elite playmaker at point guard, which is typically a bona fide starter in today's NBA.

It's still early in Nembhard's rookie season, so there will undoubtedly still be some bumps in the road, but he plays an extremely efficient brand of basketball and has proven to be valuable even when he's not shooting well. For a guard as small as Nembhard, one has to be extremely savvy and beyond their years in terms of reading the game, which is something he's displayed early in his Dallas tenure.

On the eve of former Mavericks Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic both winning Eastern and Western Conference players of the week, respectively, it's definitely a sore reminder of Nico Harrison's mismanagement of Dallas' roster, but the Mavericks may have struck gold with yet another rookie duo, as Cooper Flagg isn't the only rookie showcasing star potential in Dallas.