The young point guard has pinpointed how he wants to improve his overall game while working out with the Canadian national team and the Mavericks' Summer League squad this summer.
Ryan Nembhard was one of the best surprises for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025-26 season, not for what he could do as a pass-first point guard undrafted out of Gonzaga, but for the consistency he showed in doing so after taking on a larger role than anticipated.
With Year 2 on the horizon, Nembhard - who was converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal - could leap into an even greater role as Kyrie Irving's immediate substitute in 2026-27.
The 6-foot guard is working to make that opportunity come true this summer.
Nembhard spent the early parts of this summer working with the Canadian national team ahead of the team's participation in World Cup qualifying. The young Mavs point guard was training fellow NBA pros, like two-time defending MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, and Andrew Nembhard, Ryan's older brother.
"Training camp was great," Ryan Nembhard said. "We had great guys that came, Shai, Nickeil, my brother, all those guys. It was good to get out there and compete with those guys and try and grow for what we want to accomplish in the next couple years."
Team Canada won games against Puerto Rico and Jamaica, but Nembhard is now back to representing the Mavs at Summer League in Las Vegas.
He looked the part of a player familiar with the NBA game in the Dallas opener, a loss to the Golden State Warriors, by posting a double-double of 15 points and 11 assists. Mavs rookie Morez Johnson Jr. also filled it up in a variety of ways, scoring a game-high 27 points.
"It’s just a level of comfort coming back in the second year," Nembhard said about what he liked most in his performance. "I’m more comfortable with my game. I understand the NBA style a little more. I’m excited to get back out here."
The Mavericks' next Summer League contest is July 11 at 9 p.m. CT against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Undersized guards like Nembhard sometimes get criticized for their lack of perimeter physicality on defense, and that's an area the Mavs guard has noticed in his game as he develops.
His offseason focus?
"Continue to be a pest on defense," he said. "Get better defensively. They definitely wanted me to come here and play some games [with the Mavs]. It was a good first one to get under my belt."
Nembhard appeared in 60 games a year ago, averaging 6.6 points and 5.3 assists - the most helpers average among all rookies.
"And I’m trying to shoot the ball better, be a little more aggressive with my shot, take the shots that are available," said Nembhard, who shot a sturdy 35 percent from 3-point range last season. "Get the threes and hopefully that opens up the rest of my game. Just trying to get better at everything."
That willingness to spot weaknesses in his game and have the determination to improve them is how Nembhard can already be a leadership influence on the Mavs' youth - whether they're rookies making the jump to the NBA soon or proving themselves in Summer League before dropping into the G League this winter.
"Ryan is such a luxury in this setting," Summer League coach Joe Boylan said. " ... He came in game-ready. And I played him a lot of minutes [against Golden State] because of it. He’s such a calming force out there. Defensively, his ability to pressure the ball, his pass-first mentality but also his ability to score. I thought he was excellent."
These endorsements will likely do wonders for Nembhard's place on the Mavs roster this season.
Irving is returning to the starting lineup after missing an entire season. Nembhard will go into competition with newly-acquired guard Marcus Sasser and Euro rookie Sergio De Larrea for backup ball-handling duties.
A busy summer appears to set him on the fast track for another impressive season.
