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Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard goes undrafted, signs two-way deal with Dallas Mavericks

Nembhard will join the Mavs on a two-way deal
Cole Forsman|
Gonzaga Bulldogs senior guard Ryan Nembhard.
Gonzaga Bulldogs senior guard Ryan Nembhard. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

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Ryan Nembhard sat patiently as NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum rattled off the names of the 29 prospects who were selected during Thursday's second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Nembhard had to hold out just a little bit longer before receiving his first NBA opportunity as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Mavericks, who signed the Gonzaga guard to a two-way deal late Thursday night.

Gonzaga had previously had a player selected in each of the past four drafts. Nembhard was striving to become the 31st player in program history to be taken in the NBA Draft and the 20th under head coach Mark Few.

The Mavs didn't own a pick outside of the No. 1 overall selection, which they used to take Duke sensation Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-9 phenom is also a product of Montverde Academy, a Florida-based prep school and Nembhard's alma mater.

It probably won't be long before the debate over the greatest high school prep team makes its way to Dallas' locker room. Nembhard and Flagg can each make strong cases on behalf of their respective Montverde squads, with Nembhard's 2019-20 group boasting five future first-rounders on it, including Cade Cunningham (No. 1 overall pick in 2021) and Scottie Barnes (No. 4 overall), plus another second rounder in Caleb Houstan (No. 32 overall in 2022).

Flagg's 2023-24 Montverde Academy squad — featuring 2025 first-round picks Derik Queen (No. 13 overall), Asa Newell (No. 23) and Liam McNeely (No. 29) — went 33-0 and won the national championship while beating its opponents by an average margin of 29.8 points. Thirty wins were by double-figures, including a 16-point margin over Virginia-based powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High in the national title game.

Flagg was considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick throughout his one-year stay with the Blue Devils, earning National Player of the Year and All-America honors while guiding his team to the Final Four.

Nembhard's coming off leading the NCAA in assists as a senior with the Zags this past season, putting up 9.8 per game while breaking Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference's respective single-season records for total assists. His 344 assists in 2024-25 led the country and were the fifth-most in a single season in NCAA history.

Nembhard's shown he can adjust on the fly, too, as evidenced by his standout performances at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Nembhard quickly assimilated with a handful of prospective NBA players before dishing out 14 total assists in two scrimmages, showcasing his vision and decision-making in front of the league's scouts and front office personnel.

Nembhard's first taste of NBA action will come in a similar environment, as he'll likely suit up with Dallas' Summer League squad this July in Las Vegas alongside a handful of other young players trying to make a roster spot, plus Flagg at the helm.

While on a two-way deal, most of Nembhard's opportunities as a rookie will likely come with the Mavs' G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. The Legends went 8-26 this past season and finished 14th in the conference standings.

Dallas was in the market for backcourt depth with Kyrie Irving likely out for an extended period of time with a torn ACL. The 33-year-old NBA champion guard intends to sign a three-year extension with the Mavs once free agency opens, according to ESPN, and could be back by January. Spencer Dinwiddie is an impending free agent, as is 29-year-old Dante Exum, leaving the Mavs in need of guard play heading into the offseason.

Live update recap from the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft (5 p.m. PST, ESPN)

(Refresh this page for the latest update)

Pick No. 59: Memphis picked Tennessee guard Jahmai Mashack after making a deal with Houston.

Pick No. 58: Cleveland selected Saliou Niang, a guard from Senegal, with its final pick of the draft. Nembhard was slotted to go around the No. 58 pick in numerous mock drafts.

Pick No. 57: The Celtics wound up with VCU guard Max Shulga after trading with the Magic.

Pick No. 56: The Golden State Warriors got Will Richard after trading the No. 59 pick to Memphis for the No. 56 pick.

Pick No. 55: The Lakers selected versatile wing Lachlan Olbrich from Australia. LA traded his draft rights to Chicago shortly after the pick.

Pick No. 54: There won't be a Nembhard reunion in Indiana — for now, at least. The Pacers picked Taelon Peter from Liberty with their last pick of the 2025 draft.

Pick No. 53: The Jazz picked Wisconsin's John Tonje before trading his rights to Golden State.

Pick No. 52: Golden State selected Australian wing Alex Toohey, a former Gonzaga commit who played in the NBL for the past two seasons.

Pick No. 51: In a swap for the No. 50 pick, the Clippers picked Mohamed Diawara for the Knicks.

Pick No. 50: Nevada wing and Cal Poly star Kobe Sanders was picked by the New York Knicks, who then traded Sanders to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Pick No. 49: Duke guard Tyrese Proctor was picked by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs were seen as a potentially solid fit for Nembhard. They pick again at No. 58.

Pick No. 48: West Virginia guard Javon Small was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Pick No. 47: The Milwaukee Bucks picked Bogoljub Marković from Serbia.

Pick No. 46: Kentucky center Amari Williams was picked by the Orlando Magic, who then traded Williams' draft rights to the Boston Celtics.

Pick No. 45: The Chicago Bulls selected 7-foot-3 center Rocco Zikarsky from Australia. Chicago traded his draft rights to Minnesota shortly after the pick.

Pick No. 44: The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder picked Brooks Barnhizer from Northwestern.

Pick No. 43: The Utah Jazz traded the pick to the Wizards, who picked Florida State guard Jamir Watkins.

Pick No. 42: Sacramento drafted Stanford's Maxime Raynaud.

Pick No. 41: Phoenix selected Kentucky and Dayton product Koby Brea. The Suns traded his rights to Golden State.

Pick No. 40: The New Orleans Pelicans traded with the Washington Wizards to select Micah Peavy from Georgetown.

Pick No. 39: The Toronto Raptors picked Alijah Martin out of Florida.

Pick No. 38: The Indiana Pacers traded with the San Antonio Spurs to select All-America selection Kam Jones out of Marquette.

Pick No. 37: The Detroit Pistons picked Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier.

Pick No. 36: The Los Angeles Lakers selected Arkansas forward Adou Thiero after making a trade with Minnesota, per ESPN.

Pick No. 35: The Philadelphia 76ers selected Auburn star Johni Broome, coming off an incredible 2024-25 campaign with the Tigers that ended with All-American honors and a trip to the Final Four.

Pick No. 34: Nembhard's former Creighton teammate, Ryan Kalkbrenner, was picked by Charlotte.

Pick No. 33: Duke guard Sion James was selected by the Charlotte Hornets.

Pick No. 32: After trading No. 46 and No. 57 to the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic selected 6-foot-8 forward Noah Penda from France. According to ESPN, the Magic plan to bring Penda over immediately rather than draft-and-stash.

Pick No. 31: Minnesota selected Rasheer Fleming from St. Joseph's with the first pick of the second round.

Suns picking first: The Minnesota Timberwolves traded the first pick of the second round (No. 31 overall) to the Suns for No. 36 and two future second-round picks, according to ESPN. Suns now have No. 31 and No. 41 overall.

Warriors pick up pair of late-round picks: Golden State acquired the No. 52 and No. 59 picks from Phoenix in exchange for No. 41 overall, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Warriors and Suns worked out Nembhard during his pre-draft process.

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Cole Forsman
COLE FORSMAN

Cole Forsman is a reporter for Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI. Cole holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.

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