Jason Kidd teases shocking upcoming move set to shake up Mavericks' rotation

Ryan Nembhard stole the show against the Utah Jazz on Monday night, as he finished with six points, five rebounds, and 12 assists in 26 minutes, and Jason Kidd talked about the Dallas Mavericks taking the Nembhard experience to the next level after Dallas' win over Utah.

Kidd has already been showing that he trusts Nembhard more than your average undrafted rookie, as he spent time with the starters at one point during training camp, and Kidd's recent update shows that he is considering moving him up even more in the rotation for Wednesday's final preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers, and potentially after that depending on how he performs.

"I thought he set the table well," Kidd said about Nembhard. "We'll go back and look at tape with him and see if he can continue to grow, and we'll get him more minutes with that first group, in that rotation of the top eight or nine (players)."

Ryan Nembhard's rise in Jason Kidd's ranks is real

Kidd wants to reward Nembhard for his productivity as of late with some more minutes with Dallas' usual rotation players, and this could lead to him playing even more of an expanded role once the regular season begins. Dallas is already without Kyrie Irving and likely Dante Exum to start the year, and Nembhard could be one of their key guards off the bench to kick off the season.

According to a team source, the Mavericks covet Nembhard and his skillset, and there is even some internal uncertainty regarding how much time he could spend with the Texas Legends this season. This is a notable sign of confidence from the Mavericks for an undrafted player who is on a two-way deal, and he could end up emerging as a major hidden gem quickly.

Dallas hasn't been shy about how much they value Nembhard over the last few months, as Mavs assistant coach Josh Broghamer even said that "everyone knows we got a steal in him" during Summer League when asked about their decision to shut him down after three games, and all of the feedback surrounding Nembhard the person and player has been positive.

It's also worth noting that Brandon Williams hasn't suited up for a single preseason game after suffering a hamstring strain early on in training camp, and even though his status for opening night seems promising since he participated in the Mavs' five-on-five scrimmage at Fan Jam (regardless of how unserious it was), Nembhard could end up fighting with him for minutes as soon as next week.

Williams not being able to play any of the preseason and then being thrown into the fire to begin the regular season could be a tough ask for him as he ramps up his activity, and Nembhard could prove to be a reliable option that Kidd looks to when he needs playmaking and passing.

If the first three preseason games have shown anything about Nembhard, it's that he'll be an excellent passer on day one, and he could already be one of the best passers on the Mavericks. This was clear on Monday night, as he made great decisions out of the pick and roll, in transition, and when getting downhill, and he was always looking to find shooters on the perimeter or bigs diving to the rim.

Outside of his passing, Nembhard is a competitive defender on and off the ball, and his 3-point shooting is also strong. His shooting will likely end up being one of the swing factors of his season, as he has to be able to knock down open shots to remain on the floor as a 6-foot-even guard, and it looks like he could be a key reserve for Dallas if he keeps up this high level of play.

Kidd is all business, and if Nembhard can prove that he deserves a spot in the rotation, he's going to get it. If Kidd follows through with adding an undrafted rookie to his regular rotation to begin the season, it'll likely be one of the most shocking but welcomed coaching decisions that he has made over the last few seasons.