Mavericks' golden ticket to replacing young flamethrower is right in front of them

The Dallas Mavericks are just eight days away from tipping off their regular season, as preseason basketball is still underway. Not only have the Mavericks now played in three of their four scheduled preseason matchups, but there are already clear takeaways that every fan can acknowledge just a few weeks into training camp.

While Cooper Flagg has been at the top of every headline this offseason, the Mavericks have steadily made strides within their guard unit as rookie Ryan Nembhard has begun to put fans and critics on notice. In just the first half of action against the Utah Jazz, Nembhard cleared all doubts with a stellar six-assist half of basketball.

Not only has Nembhard begun to put basketball fans on notice, but some are already calling for Nembhard to be above Jaden Hardy in the Mavericks' depth chart. Against the Jazz, Nembhard poured in six points, five rebounds, and a mind-boggling 12 assists alongside Hardy, who finished the night with 13 points and six assists.

Nembhard is making it harder for Mavs to keep Hardy in current rotation

After selecting Flagg with the first overall pick, fans and the Mavericks' front office understood that they needed to acquire a young guard to pair with Flagg. While plenty of fans expected the Mavericks to trade back into the first or even second round of the draft, it became increasingly clear that the team would look to the post-draft rookie market to find its guard pairing of the future.

With this in mind, the Mavericks signed Nembhard to a two-way contract, and since the Las Vegas Summer League, it has become increasingly clear that he could play within Dallas' rotation as soon as his first day in camp.

There is no doubt that Hardy has been one of the Mavericks' project players for a few seasons now, and after a disappointing third year in the league, it may finally be time to let go of the Hardy pipe dream. Acquiring Nembhard now makes it easy for the Mavericks to pass the torch, and it also helps the team's needs in the process.

The Mavericks have desperately needed a player who puts playmaking for others at the top of his mind, and Nembhard fills that to a tee. Since losing Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL in early March of last season, the Mavericks have desperately been searching for a player who can pack a punch of creation and playmaking off the bench, and Dallas may finally have their answer in Nembhard.

In the past, the Mavericks were banking on a dream of Hardy elevating his playmaking and decision-making to a level where he could one day handle the rock on his own. Now three years into his NBA career, it's clear that Hardy is best suited off-ball, and this may not be the direction the Mavericks are willing to head with him.

Not only does Nembhard offer the Mavericks more youth and the ability to grow alongside Flagg, which he has already shown a willingness to do, but Nembhard flat-out fills more of a team need than Hardy can provide. The Mavericks do need a shot-chucking aspect to their offense, but at the sacrifice of playmaking and solid decision-making, Hardy's rare flamethrower games may not be worth it.

The Mavericks are still over a week away from tipping off their regular season, but plenty of roster moves and rotational decisions can affect how the team looks between now and then. The Mavericks likely won't cut Hardy outright, but they could explore trading him if they'd like to create an additional roster spot.