Bill Simmons pitches major NBA draft change after Mavericks sign Ryan Nembhard

Bill Simmons of The Ringer has ripped the Dallas Mavericks' 29 NBA rival teams after point guard Ryan Nembhard went undrafted out of Gonzaga.

The 6-footer — younger brother to standout Indiana Pacers starting swingman Andrew Nembhard, also a Gonzaga alum — was quickly snatched up by Dallas on a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent, in the immediate aftermath of the 2025 NBA Draft's second round.

Nembhard spent his first two NCAA seasons at Creighton before transferring to the Bulldogs, where he became a two-time All-West Coast Conference honoree while averaging 11.6 points on .445/.360/.761 shooting splits, 8.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals in two seasons. Last year, Nembhard's 9.8 dimes a night led all Division I collegiate players.

In response to the instant Nembhard pickup Thursday night, Simmons took to X on Friday morning to essentially scold the rest of the league for whiffing on him — and pitched a bold new plan to re-expand the NBA draft.

I can’t believe nobody drafted Ryan Nembhard. And then Dallas steals him on a 2-way? I think he’s gonna be good. The NBA should add a 10-player third round and make it a 70-pick draft. The worst 10 teams get one more 3rd rounder.

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) June 27, 2025

"I can’t believe nobody drafted Ryan Nembhard," Simmons wrote. "And then Dallas steals him on a 2-way? I think he’s gonna be good. The NBA should add a 10-player third round and make it a 70-pick draft. The worst 10 teams get one more 3rd rounder."

The NBA draft went as long as 21 rounds, and was still 10 rounds through 1987. In 1988, it was reduced to a more manageable three rounds, and finally became a two-round setup in '89.

Dallas of course enjoyed the starriest draft of any team this week.

The Mavericks used the No. 1 pick on superstar Duke forward Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-9 Naismith Award winner averaged a whopping 19.2 points on .481/.385/.840 shooting splits, 7.5 boards, and 4.2 dimes in his 37 contests for the Blue Devils, while guiding the club to a Final Four berth last spring. He is projected to have potential superstar upside.

Dallas did not have a second round pick, but Nembhard may be a value add as an undrafted signing.