In a trade that sent Dorian Finney-Smith to the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets acquired Buddy Hield and Ryan Nembhard.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Hornets are expected to waive Nembhard as part of the trade.
The young guard should have multiple suitors on potential two-way deals after being waived, per Marc Stein. The main candidate is the Denver Nuggets.
Nembhard had a game against the Nuggets, where he scored 28 points and 10 assists last December. He has also impressed with a 23-assist game against the Chicago Bulls at the end of the season.
Ryan Nembhard's rookie year
Ryan Nembhard, the brother of Indiana Pacers star Andrew Nembhard, went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. He was signed by the Dallas Mavericks to a two-way deal.
Through his solid performance, Nembhard earned a guaranteed two-year deal with the team.
In the end, he finished the season averaging 6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 19.5 minutes per game, while shooting 35.6% from beyond the arc.
Despite the positivity, Nembhard was traded to the Hawks in the offseason. He was involved in the three-team trade that sent former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharrie Risacher to the Mavericks and Lu Dort to the Hawks as well, while the Oklahoma City Thunder received three future second-round picks.
Now, Nembhard will have to earn his way to another guaranteed deal with a new team.