Rookie sets Mavericks assist mark

Ryan Nembhard closed his rookie season by handing out 23 assists on April 12, the most ever by a Mavericks rookie in one game. (nba.com) Dallas beat the Chicago Bulls 149-128 at American Airlines Center, and Nembhard added 15 points, nine rebounds and two steals in 38 minutes. (nba.com) The old Dallas rookie mark was 17 assists by Jason Kidd, who now coaches the Mavericks. Nembhard’s 23 also ranked as the second-highest assist total in any game in franchise history. (apnews.com) (nationaltoday.com) An assist is the pass that directly sets up a basket, and 23 in one night is rare even for veteran point guards. Basketball-Reference lists only a small number of National Basketball Association games with more than 23 assists since the 1983-84 season. (basketball-reference.com) Nembhard arrived in Dallas without hearing his name called in the 2025 National Basketball Association draft. He signed first on a two-way deal after going undrafted out of Gonzaga, where the Mavericks said he led Division I college basketball with 9.8 assists per game in his final season. (si.com) (nba.com) Dallas converted that two-way look into a standard multi-year contract in February 2026 after Nembhard posted a 13-assist game that the team’s G League affiliate said was already the most by an undrafted player in Mavericks history. (aguacaliente.gleague.nba.com) The record came in a season finale between two teams out of the playoff field. The Mavericks finished 26-56, while the Bulls finished 31-51. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) The box score showed how much of Dallas’ offense ran through him that night: the Mavericks had 35 team assists, and Nembhard produced 23 of them himself. He finished one rebound short of a triple-double. (sportsdata.usatoday.com) (nba.com) For Dallas, the last game of a 56-loss season still ended with a new line in the franchise record book. For Nembhard, it was a rookie finale that put his name above his coach’s. (apnews.com)