Dallas Mavericks find potential steal as UDFA in 2025 NBA Draft

Despite having just one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks made their mark on the night by selecting Duke standout Cooper Flagg number one overall. Though they did not trade back into the second round as many suspected they would, they wasted no time adding talent, even after the conclusion of the second set of picks.

Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard signed a two-way contract with Dallas as the Mavericks add a high-IQ lead initiator with defensive upside. Nembhard led the NCAA in assists last season at a blistering 9.8 per game, on top of scoring 10.5 points and grabbing 3.0 rebounds. He shot 40% from three and 77% from the line as well as recording 1.7 steals. He has a phenonemal assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.92, underlining his ability as a floor general and skill to command an offense.

He showed out against an elite Houston defense in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by recording 11 assists against one of the best units in the country, and were he a bit bigger, would certainly have been taken at some point during the last two nights. He had 18 double-digit assist games last year, including a two-game stretch where he recorded a combined 31.