Mavericks' next roster move already feels inevitable less than a week in

Ryan Nembhard wrapped up his second game as a Dallas Maverick on Friday night against the Washington Wizards, and it's already clear that they will be forced to give him a standard contract later this season if he continues to play a prominent role.

Nembhard is on a two-way deal, meaning he can only be active for 50 games during the regular season, and as things currently stand, he'll be ineligible for the postseason if he remains on the same contract. Dallas will have to convert his two-way deal to a standard contract if Jason Kidd continues to trust him to run the show off the bench, and this seems probable.

Kidd even mentioned Nembhard's 50-game limit after the game on Friday, and any time that he suits up, he's likely going to play.

Ryan Nembhard's play will force a roster decision

"If you play Ryan, or suit him up, you've got to play him," Kidd said. "Because it's a game that's going to go against you."

Mavericks fans saw the same situation unravel with Brandon Williams last season, as he outperformed the two-way contract that he was on by the end of the season, ran out of two-way eligibility, and ultimately, Dallas ended up giving him a standard deal to lock him down for the end of last season and this season. Williams erupted for the Mavericks at the end of last season and averaged 16.6 points and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the field in March, and Mavs fans will be crossing their fingers that Nembhard can get hot at some point as well.

Over his first two games, Nembhard is averaging 13 minutes per game, and he played more than D'Angelo Russell in both contests. He has clearly already won the favor of the Mavericks' coaching staff, and considering how disjointed Dallas' offense has looked through two games, they are going to need him to be a steady hand to help right the ship.

Even as an undrafted rookie, Nembhard is already one of the Mavericks' best passers, and he has proven that he can run the offense when needed. His on-court chemistry with Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis is already evident, and he is one of the few guards on the roster who prefers to create for others rather than for himself.

Nembhard is the definition of a true pass-first point guard, and it'd be wise for the Mavericks to lock down his future later this season by giving him a standard contract and ensuring that he is a key piece of the future alongside Flagg. He has a great shot at being a key contributor in Dallas for years to come, and one of his first steps in reaching that milestone will be signing a new deal.

A lot can change from now until the time that Nembhard would be signing a standard deal, but with the Mavericks' team needs, it only makes sense to keep him around. Dallas clearly doesn't trust Russell, as he only played nine minutes on Friday night, and they may be forced to heavily rely on Nembhard to set the table for others if they don't believe Russell can do that.

Kidd mentioned that he is still trying to figure out who he wants to play between Williams and Nembhard as a guard off the bench, and if Nembhard becomes victorious here, their desperation to sign him to a standard deal will come even quicker. The 50-game mark of the regular season is right around the trade deadline, and Nembhard could be in a good position to secure a standard contract at this time.