Everyone was fixated on the NBA Summer League matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks to get their first look at Cooper Flagg on a professional court. Tuning in for that main draw would also offer the added experience of watching Ryan Nembhard cooking with gasoline.
The younger brother of Andrew Nembhard, who was in attendance to support his sibling, displayed an impressive performance in this one. The Mavericks guard finished the game with 21 points, five rebounds, and one steal in the 87-85 victory for Dallas.
Nembhard was efficient with his scoring. The former Gonzaga star shot 8-of-14, including the eventual game-winning 3-point bucket for the Mavericks.
COOPER FLAGG REJECTION ❌
RYAN NEMBHARD 3 ð¯
Dallas goes up 2 with less than a minute to play on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/aIQl7TdCgl
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025
Watching the stellar performance served as a painful reminder to the Lakers that they could have just as easily been in the position of being the team who offered Nembhard his shot in the pros. Instead, the Mavericks may have gotten one over on the Lakers and the rest of the league.
Nembhard could prove to be a major undrafted miss for Lakers
The Lakers are certainly a team who is in the market for help at the backup guard spot after watching Gabe Vincent fail to live up to his contract in the 2024-25 campaign. Nembhard was right there for the taking.
The 22-year-old went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Lakers were not short on prospects who were given a shot after not being selected in the yearly fixture. The Gonzaga guard was not among them.
Many believed Nembhard could sneak his way into the back-end of the second round in 2025. The lead guard for the Bulldogs averaged 10.5 points, 9.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, with shooting splits of 45-40-77, in his final NCAA campaign.
Despite showcasing his playmaking abilities by leading the nation in assists, and backing that up with strong defensive effort, Nembhard would have to field calls after the draft was over. The concerns about his size likely led to many feeling lukewarm about his NBA ceiling.
With depth concerns hovering around the Lakers, and a lack of draft capital to secure young talent, taking a chance on Nembhard could have been a great way to find a hidden gem. Instead, the Mavericks, who will be waiting around for Kyrie Irving due to his ACL injury, may have the opportunity in Dallas that proves necessary for the young guard.