Hornets waiving Ryan Nembhard opens door to an unexpected Mavericks reunion

The Charlotte Hornets traded Dorian Finney-Smith for Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard, and cash considerations earlier today, and according to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Hornets are expected to waive the second-year guard as part of this deal. This trade between the Hornets and Atlanta Hawks marks the second time that Nembhard has been traded this summer, giving the Dallas Mavericks the chance to unexpectedly reunite with the former Gonzaga Bulldog.

Ryan Nembhard was excellent as a rookie

Nembhard had an excellent rookie season for the Mavericks, as he averaged 6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and a rookie-high 5.3 assists per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from long range. His stellar play helped him earn a standard deal with Dallas in February, but his time with the team didn't last too long after that.

The Mavs traded Nembhard to the Hawks as part of the trade that brought Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas, and they punted on a player who had just started 27 games for them as a rookie. He was one of the few players who could effectively set up the offense in a season in which they won just 26 games, and it seemed like he had a long-term future with the team.

The 23-year-old guard flashed tons of potential, as he averaged 15.6 points and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 66.7 percent from three in his first five starts. Nemby looked like he could be a solid backup point guard in the NBA at the very least. Yet, Dallas made the right decision to move on. They landed a former No. 1 overall pick in that deal.

Mavericks need a player with Nembhard's skill set

Now, just a few months later, they have the chance to reunite with Nembhard. The Mavericks desperately need more playmaking and guard depth behind Kyrie Irving after focusing heavily on adding wing depth this summer, and Nembhard has already proven that he can thrive in this role.

His pass-first playstyle would be a good fit on Dallas' revamped roster filled with shooters, and he wouldn't have as much pressure to play such a big role now that Kyrie Irving is healthy. The Mavericks could sign him to a two-way deal, allowing him to develop in the G League with the Texas Legends and Dallas.

This proved to be a successful strategy last season, and the Mavs could target such a move.

Dallas would need to cut someone for him

The only problem is that all of Dallas' two-way spots are filled. Tobi Lawal, John Poulakidas, and Jett Howard occupy the Mavericks' two-way spots, and one of them would need to be waived if Dallas wants to bring back Nembhard.

It seems most likely that the Mavericks would waive either Howard or Poulakidas if they want to bring Nembhard back, since they just used a second-round pick on Lawal, and this could be an intriguing training-camp battle to keep an eye on if Dallas invites Nembhard to training camp.

It's a bit shocking that Nembhard is expected to be a free agent after having such an impressive rookie season with Dallas, and the Mavs should take advantage of this by inviting him to training camp to let him fight for a roster spot.

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