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

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard (0) moves the ball down the floor against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half of the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, Mar. 20, 2025, at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan. Gonzaga won the game 89-68. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584

Ryan Nembhard continued to climb ESPN’s ranking of “best available” prospects as the NBA draft wore on Thursday night, but the record-setting Gonzaga point guard never heard his name called.

Nembhard instead signed an undrafted free-agent deal with the Dallas Mavericks shortly after the second round concluded, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Until this week, Gonzaga had at least one player selected in four consecutive drafts – one of just six schools that could make that claim – and seven players selected during the same period.

Nembhard was Gonzaga’s best chance at extending that streak this year. The Canadian point guard was considered one of the top prospects still available when the Houston Rockets selected Tennessee’s Jahmai Mashasck with the final pick in the second round.

At that point, ESPN.com’s ranking of best available players had Nembhard at No. 7, and Jay Bilas listed the point guard at No. 3.

That wasn’t as high as former Gonzaga guard Hunter Sallis, who also went undrafted after peaking at No. 1 on Bilas’ best available and No. 5 at ESPN.com.

Sallis, who earned All-ACC honors each of the past two seasons at Wake Forest after transferring from Gonzaga, became one of the first undrafted free agents to find a home after the second round, signing a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

As a two-way player, Nembhard will likely spend his rookie season splitting time between Dallas and its G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, based in nearby Frisco.

It’s an intriguing situation for the GU point guard, who joins an organization that used the No. 1 overall pick on Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, the consensus national college player of the year in 2024-25.

With Flagg, the Mavericks are expected to be one of the top draws next month at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The NBA and ESPN have announced a Summer League opener between the Mavericks and Lakers on July 10 at the Thomas & Mack Center on UNLV’s campus.

Nembhard and Flagg have a connection through their high school careers after both playing under coach Kevin Boyle at Florida-based Montverde Academy, albeit four years apart.

Per the terms of his two-way contract, Nembhard will be able to play up to 50 games with the Mavericks next season and spend the rest of his time with the G League Legends. There could be opportunities for Nembhard in Dallas, particularly in the early stages of the season as All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving works through an ACL injury that could sideline him until January or February .

The Mavericks are relatively thin at the point guard spot, with Brandon Williams as the only other primary ball-handler on the team’s current roster. Dallas is expected to be the “primary suitor” for free-agent guard D’Angelo Russell, according to a report from ESPN’s Marc Stein.

Nembhard was considered one of the top facilitators in the draft after totaling 344 assists as a senior, breaking his Gonzaga single-season record while surpassing Emmett Naar of Saint Mary’s for the West Coast Conference record. It made Nembhard one of only 22 players in NCAA Division I history with at least 300 assists in a single season, ranking No. 5 on the all-time list.

At 6-feet and 180 pounds, Nembhard’s size raised questions among draft analysts, potentially contributing to why he went undrafted after helping Gonzaga win a WCC Tournament title, reach the school’s 27th straight NCAA Tournament bid and nearly pull off an upset of No. 1 Houston in the Round of 32.

No Zags were selected in the draft, but a former GU signee was. Australian forward Alex Toohey, who was committed to Mark Few’s program for about eight months before choosing to forgo the college route and sign with the NBL’s Sydney Kings, was taken with the 52nd overall pick by the Golden State Warriors.

One year after Anton Watson and Killian Tillie represented the Boston Celtics at NBA Summer League , another Gonzaga forward will join the Eastern Conference franchise in Las Vegas. Ben Gregg, who worked out with a number of NBA teams during the pre-draft process, confirmed to The Spokesman-Review Thursday night he’d accepted a Summer League invitation from the Celtics.

Gregg started in 39 of 70 possible games for Gonzaga his last two seasons, averaging 9.1 points and 4.9 rebounds as a senior.

“It may not be a jump but it is a step in the right direction and we couldn’t be prouder of little Ben Gregg for getting an opportunity with the (Celtics),” Gregg’s father, Matt, wrote in a post on X.

Other members of GU’s 2024-25 team, including guard Khalif Battleand guard Nolan Hickman, will now wait to learn if they receive two-way contracts or Summer League opportunities.

Spokane’s Tyson Degenhart also learned his NBA destination on Thursday not long after the draft concluded. The former Mt. Spokane High and Boise State standout signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Toronto Raptors, he told Bronco Nation News. The Exhibit 10 contract will give Degenhart a chance to make Toronto’s regular-season squad after Summer League, but guarantees him a roster spot with the organization’s G-League affiliate, Raptors 905.