Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard receives invite to NBA G League Combine

Nation's assists leader is the only Zag participating in the NBA's pre-draft combines

Gonzaga senior guard Ryan Nembhard received an invite to the NBA G League Elite Camp. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard will have an opportunity to showcase his skills in front of pro scouts, coaches and front office executives next week in Chicago.

Nembhard received an invite to the NBA G League Elite Camp on Saturday, along with 43 other former college standouts who will compete in five-on-five games and strength and agility drills over the course of the two-day event from Wintrust Arena.

Like the NBA Draft Combine, the NBA G League Elite Camp allows draft-eligible prospects an opportunity to display their skills in front of NBA personnel, improve their draft stock and receive valuable feedback ahead of the draft.

Nembhard is the only member of Gonzaga's 2024-25 team that will participate in the NBA combine or G League elite camp. Fellow senior Nolan Hickman and sixth-year guard Khalif Battle competed in a pre-draft tournament held in Portsmouth, Virginia, last month. Gonzaga didn't have any underclassmen declare as an early draft candidate.

Sources: The 2025 NBA G League Elite Camp list has been unveiled below. A select number of standout players from this event will also be invited to participate in the 2025 NBA Draft Combine. pic.twitter.com/ILTGJZrJ85

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 4, 2025

The NBA G League Elite camp is set for May 9-11. The first 14 picks of the 2025 NBA Draft will be determined during the draft lottery on May 12. Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg is slated to be the No. 1 overall pick regardless of which team is on the board first.

Nembhard finished his four-year college career with 882 assists, the 22nd-most by a player in NCAA Division I history. His 344 assists this past season led the country and were the fifth-most in a single season in NCAA history and the most in Gonzaga program history. In fact, it only took him two seasons (70 games) to finish with the fifth-most career assists in Gonzaga history (587, two shy of tying Jeremy Pargo for fourth).

Nembhard averaged 11.7 points and 3.5 rebounds for his career, shooting 43.2% from the field and 34.7% from 3-point range over the span of 134 games with Creighton (64 games) and Gonzaga (70). His 30-point outburst against Baylor in the 2023 NCAA Tournament marked a career-high. Nembhard had 28 career games with 10 or more assists as well.

Though his name isn't a popular one on most big boards, Nembhard did make an appearance as the No. 57 overall pick to the Orlando Magic in The Athletic's latest mock draft.

Orlando already has a solid bunch of hybrid guards/wings on the roster — including former Gonzaga star Jalen Suggs — but a true point guard who can set the table for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner would help take the load off the Magic's young stars.

Whether he hears his name called on June 25 or not, Nembhard's next steps toward a potential NBA career likely involve a trip to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League in July.