Mavericks uncover 'seamless' Spencer Dinwiddie replacement built for Cooper Flagg

Last offseason, when the Dallas Mavericks brought back Spencer Dinwiddie on a one-year deal, it was a deal that fans were excited about, as Dinwiddie was poised to be the perfect stopgap guard while Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving were ever sidelined with an injury. A year later, Dinwiddie left Dallas and signed with the Charlotte Hornets, but they have the perfect replacement waiting to make the most of his opportunity in the backcourt with Ryan Nembhard.

Dallas signed Nembhard to a two-way deal after the 2025 NBA Draft concluded, and if Summer League has proved anything thus far, it's that Nembhard can develop into a rotation piece for the Mavs while complementing Cooper Flagg beautifully on the floor.

Even before Flagg and Nembhard took the floor together at Summer League, their two-man game was drawing some attention during practice, and Nembhard has the ideal skillset to help make the game as easy as possible for Flagg.

Ryan Nembhard is about to take Mavericks fans by storm

A few days before Dallas left for Las Vegas, Nembhard predicted that he and Flagg's connection would be "seamless" and "smooth," and his prediction has come true so far. Nembhard has looked confident when running the show or as an off-ball guard next to Flagg, and this could have been a preview of what we'll see from the rookie duo next season.

While Nembhard doesn't have the same size as Dinwiddie, as he is only 6-foot, Nembhard has been constantly praised by Mavs Summer League head coach Josh Broghamer for his ability to play either guard spot, and that is only going to help the Mavericks. Broghamer believes that Nembhard can play either guard spot due to his feel for the game and 3-point shooting, and even when Flagg is running the show, Nembhard can still be effective.

With Kyrie Irving set to miss a good chunk of the season, Nembhard can help play some spot minutes for their playmaking need, and that's exactly why Flagg is going to love playing with him.

Nembhard was truly one of the biggest steals of the offseason, as he was one of the greatest passers entering the draft, but he somehow went undrafted. Flagg's off-ball cutting, 3-point shooting off the catch, and ability as a lob threat are going to be elevated when playing next to Nembhard, as he seemingly always makes the right play.

On top of the undeniable fit when sharing the court together, off the court, they should be an outstanding duo as well. Being an NBA rookie isn't easy, and especially for someone like Flagg, who just became the second-youngest No. 1 overall pick behind LeBron James, he is going to need someone to go through this journey with. While Flagg has an outstanding family and group of people around him, having a teammate who you can grow with and go through everything together is important as well, and Nembhard is poised to be that for Flagg.

Before games, Flagg and Nembhard could be seen talking and joking around some during warmups, and they sat next to each other on the bench during Dallas' fourth Summer League game against the Philadelphia 76ers as they were both inactive.

Nembhard is the perfect player for Flagg to go through his rookie year with, as he is a quiet leader who has been coined as the "ultimate point guard" multiple times by another Mavericks rookie, Miles Kelly, and with both players having incredible basketball IQs, their on-court chemistry will only continue to grow as they play more together.

Flagg finding Nembhard for a go-ahead 3-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers in their first Summer League game together was just the tip of the iceberg for the Mavs' new rookie duo, and the sky is the limit.