DALLAS, TEXAS — The Dallas Mavericks are keeping one of their promising young playmakers in the fold.
The organization announced Sunday that it has exercised the team option on guard Ryan Nembhard’s contract, securing him for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Nembhard, who completed a productive rookie campaign, emerged as one of Dallas’ top facilitators while appearing in 60 games, including 27 starts. The 6-foot guard averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field, 35.6% from beyond the arc and 80.6% at the free-throw line.
The rookie paced all first-year players in assists per game and finished with 316 total assists, matching teammate Cooper Flagg for the highest rookie total in the NBA during the 2025-26 season. Despite missing time and playing only 60 games, Nembhard’s assist total also tied Flagg for the fourth-most by a rookie in Mavericks franchise history.
By exercising the option, Dallas retains one of its young backcourt contributors as the franchise continues building around its emerging core heading into the 2026-27 season.
