Mavericks' newest signing drops brutal truth bomb on fan-favorite rookie

The Dallas Mavericks officially re-signed Dante Exum to a one-year deal on Monday to lock him down as one of their main guards off the bench, and while this is a move that they desperately needed to make, considering Kyrie Irving is set to miss significant time with a torn ACL, it also comes with some negative consequences for rookie point guard Ryan Nembhard as he enters his first NBA season.

Nembhard took the league by storm at NBA Summer League for the Mavs, ultimately playing so well that Dallas shut him down after three games, but his route to playing time may not be as easy as once expected. It was always known that Nembhard was going to have to work his way up to receive minutes and become a key piece of Jason Kidd's rotation, but he may have been forced further down the bench with Exum's return being made official.

Nembhard was always going to be behind D'Angelo Russell and likely Brandon Williams to begin next season, and now he has another player to beat out during training camp and preseason since Exum is coming back. He is already a top passer in this group along with Russell, but Exum's connectivity, versatility, and defense are going to be relied upon right away by Jason Kidd, while Nembhard is going to have to prove his worth with big performances, reliability, and poise.

Nembhard's spot in Mavs' rotation is far from certain with Exum returning

It's already uncommon for two-way players to secure major roles in the rotation right away, especially undrafted rookies, and Nembhard will step into an uphill battle as soon as training camp begins. Despite wowing every Mavericks fan with his passing, 3-point shooting, and basketball IQ during the three games that he played in Las Vegas, he may find himself playing more games for the Texas Legends than he could have expected.

Exum has already proven himself as someone who Kidd can trust in big moments, as he has drilled several clutch shots over his two years in Dallas while being a great option on both ends of the floor, and he will likely be a key X-factor to begin next season if he can maintain his electric 3-point shooting.

Exum has quietly become one of the best shooters on the team, and considering how bad Dallas shot from downtown to end last season, they are going to need him. Badly.

This isn't to say that Nembhard can't be a reliable shooter off the bench, as he shot over 40 percent from downtown as a senior at Gonzaga and showed major growth in that area, but he is going to have to knock down threes at a high clip if he wants to even think about securing a real role in Kidd's system.

Standing at 6-foot, Nembhard is already undersized, and his overall effectiveness will plummet if he can't hit threes at a respectable clip. Undersized guards have to be one of the most skilled players on the court at all times if they want to see the floor consistently, and preseason is going to give Mavs fans a perfect look into where Nembhard stands on Dallas' backcourt totem pole.

Even though Nembhard looks like he could develop into an elite game-changer one day, minutes are going to be tough to come by at first, and Exum just complicated the former Bulldog's fast-track to minutes.

Injuries will happen, and Exum's ability to play mutliple positions will help Nembhard's case, but nothing is given in today's NBA. He is going to have to climb the ranks quickly to prove to Kidd that he can play a key part in their quest for the second title in franchise history, and Mavericks fans shouldn't expect anything less.