Mavericks got the steal of the 2025 NBA Draft — and it isn't Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg undoubtedly has the highest ceiling of any player in the 2025 NBA Draft, as he is poised to be a star for the Dallas Mavericks right away next season, but he may not be considered the biggest steal of the draft for Dallas. The entire world knew that Flagg would go No. 1 overall to Dallas long before Adam Silver announced it, but no one expected a different move that was made in the shadows after the second round of the draft concluded.

Dallas signed Ryan Nembhard to a two-way deal after the 2025 NBA Draft ended, and it was quickly clear that he should've been drafted through his performance at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Nembhard finished with 21 points and five assists while shooting 8-14 from the field and 1-2 from downtown, including the go-ahead 3-pointer coming off a feed from Flagg that earned Dallas the win.

Ryan Nembhard will make everyone regret passing on him

Nembhard's poise, decision-making, and passing were on another level while in Las Vegas, and the Mavericks were so impressed by him that they decided to shut him down after just three games. An undrafted rookie being shut down in Summer League is out of the ordinary, and he could find himself having a real role in Dallas right away.

Nembhard will be competing with players like D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum, and Brandon Williams for playing time to begin the season, and even though it may seem like an uphill battle, he'll be ready for it.

Nembhard will immediately become one of the best passers on the team as soon as training camp begins, and this part of his game is what makes his undrafted status so shocking. His 344 assists at Gonzaga last season rank fifth all-time for most assists in a single season, and he isn't just a great passer; his stats show that he is one of the best pure passers that college basketball has seen in some time.

His ability to make complex reads is what makes him special, as he always throws the pass to his teammate at the perfect time, even when the angle is tough. He sees the entire court at all times, and he and Flagg should connect on plenty of lobs next season if they get to share the court often.

Along with his passing, Nembhard is also a deadly shooter off the catch and the bounce, making him someone who could play off the ball when needed. Mavs Summer League head coach Josh Broghamer seemed to believe in Nembhard's ability as a shooter and an off-ball guard, as he constantly talked about how he could play either guard spot if needed. His size is the only thing that would make his fit as an off-ball guard shaky, as he is only 6-foot, but every other part of his game makes up for his height.

He is the ultimate competitor who defends hard, makes winning plays, and can run the offense, and this type of guard typically doesn't slip out of the first round. Nembhard slipped all the way out of the second round as well, and Mavericks fans will be pleased when they see him step onto the floor during the preseason.

Ryan plays like his brother, Andrew, of the Indiana Pacers, and if he can one day turn into as good a player as Andrew, Dallas will have truly pulled off one of the biggest draft steals that this league has seen in some time. Andrew, too was slept on coming out of college, as he was drafted with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He quickly outplayed this draft position, and he just wrapped up the best season of his career with a dominant playoff run for Indiana.

Mavericks fans will be most excited about Flagg and his impact in Dallas, but what they'll quickly realize is that Nembhard could also be a major reason that the Mavs' 2025 rookie class is a major success. The odds of Nembhard being as much of a star as Flagg are slim at this point, but he will give the Mavs what they need and become a reliable guard off the bench who could one day turn into a starter.