Mavericks turn the NBA's biggest draft mistake into an endless goldmine

The Dallas Mavericks caught the rest of the league snoozing on the second night of the 2025 NBA Draft, as they signed Ryan Nembhard to a two-way deal shortly after the draft concluded. Media and fans from around the league immediately coined this move as one of the biggest steals of the summer, as Nembhard definitely should have been drafted.

He led the NCAA in assists per game at 9.8, and his 344 assists for the year ranked as the fifth most assists in a season in NCAA history. Nembhard had a historical season as a passer, and somehow, he fell into the Mavericks' laps after the draft.

Not a single team taking a chance on Nembhard could be considered one of the biggest mistakes of the summer, and his performance for the Mavericks in Summer League proved that.

NBA looks foolish for letting Ryan Nembhard fall to Dallas

In his first game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Nembhard finished with 21 points, five assists, and one steal while shooting 8-14 from the field and 1-2 from downtown. His one three of the game came when Dallas needed it most, as Cooper Flagg found him for the game-winning three from the right wing.

While Flagg still displayed plenty of promise in his first game against the Lakers, Nembhard stole the show, and Mavericks fans couldn't believe the luck that they were gifted. Nembhard and Flagg displayed that they can be one of the scariest rookie duos in the NBA after just a few games together, and the Mavericks shutting down Nembhard after just three games tells you exactly how they feel about him.

"You guys saw it, Ryan didn't have to prove anything else," Mavs Summer League head coach Josh Broghamer said when asked about Nembhard being shut down after three games. "I think everyone knows we got a steal in him, and he can play on the ball, off the ball, he's gonna be a hard-nosed defender, as much as anything, and so, we didn't need to see anything else from him because we know what we got with him and we're very excited about him going forward."

Broghamer sang Nembhard's praises every time that he spoke about him at Summer League, and cutting his Summer League short was the ultimate sign of belief in his future. Usually, it's high first-round picks who get shut down early into Summer League, but in the Mavs' case, it was their undrafted rookie point guard who is only 6-foot.

Nembhard's height is one thing that fans and media tried to use against him during the pre-draft process when projecting what his career development will look like, but he has already put those doubts to rest. He is always the smartest player on the floor, and his effort on defense sets him apart.

For a player to succeed as an undersized guard, they always have to be one of the most skilled players on the floor, and Nembhard already proved that he is typically in that conversation through a strong Summer League display. This doesn't mean that Nembhard is the perfect player, as he did struggle with some physicality against the San Antonio Spurs in his second game, but it's obvious that he is going to be a solid rotation player in the NBA at the very least.

The rest of the league should be furious that the Mavericks signed Nembhard just over 24 hours after they drafted Flagg, and executives around the league are likely kicking themselves for not drafting Nembhard. Him going undrafted is already looking like the biggest NBA blunder of the summer, and Dallas is reaping the benefits while everyone else has to watch him thrive.