Former Gonzaga star Ryan Nembhard could be on the move again before NBA season

The former Gonzaga point guard is expected to become available less than a week before training camp

Apr 12, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) shoots as Chicago Bulls guard Rob Dillingham (7) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The whirlwind NBA career of former Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard took another turn on Tuesday.

The Atlanta Hawks - who acquired Nembhard in a trade for former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher in July - are sending the second-year point guard, veteran shooter Buddy Hield, and cash to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, per a report from Shams Charania of ESPN.

Nembhard is expected to be waived by Charlotte, and has already drawn interest from other teams, with training camp set to begin in less than a week.

Productive rookie year after going undrafted

After shattering all sorts of program and conference records as a senior at Gonzaga in 2024-25, Nembhard went undrafted and ultimately landed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

The 6'0 point guard ended up having a far better rookie season than anticipated, appearing in 60 games with Dallas and averaging 6.6 points, 5.3 assists, and just 1.4 turnovers in 19.5 minutes per game - while shooting 35.6% from three.

The Atlanta Hawks are trading Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/bf3zzlZgVK

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2026

Nembhard had a jaw dropping eight game stretch with the Mavs from late November to mid-December, where he started every game and averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 assists, and 1.9 turnovers while playing 27.4 minutes and shooting 60.5% on twos and 54.8% (17-31) from three. That included a 28 point, 10 assist, zero turnover game at Denver, on 12-14 shooting, followed by 15 points, 13 assists, and one turnover two days later against Miami.

He capped off the year with 15 points, 23 assists, and nine rebounds in the regular season finale against Chicago, breaking his coach Jason Kidd's franchise record for assists in a game by a rookie.

Offseason saga

Dallas let Kidd go in the offseason and hired former Michigan head coach Dusty May, and that resulted in a shuffling of the roster that sent Nembhard to Atlanta in exchange for Risacher, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

Apr 7, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) controls the ball during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nembhard was primed to compete for point guard minutes behind veteran CJ McCollum and rookie Kingston Flemings with the Hawks, but two months later, he is on the move again.

Charlotte, like Atlanta, used a first round pick in the 2026 NBA draft on a point guard, selecting Texas Tech's Christian Anderson, who will compete with Dennis Schroder to back up Coby White.

That doesn't leave a ton of room for Nembhard, which is why it is expected he will be waived - clearing the way for him to sign somewhere else ahead of training camp.

The 6'0 point guard spent two years at Gonzaga after beginning his career with Creighton. He shattered Gonzaga's single-season assist record in 2024-25 with 344, the fifth highest total in recorded college basketball history.

He ultimately finished his career with 882 assists between GU and Creighton, 23rd all-time, and is 14th in WCC history despite only playing two years in the conference.