Nuggets sign Ryan Nembhard to two-way deal, request waivers on KJ Simpson

The Denver Nuggets signed Ryan Nembhard to a two-way contract Wednesday and requested waivers on KJ Simpson, exchanging one guard for another as training camp gets underway.

Denver’s announcement confirmed the signing after Shams Charania reported the agreement earlier in the day. Nembhard will wear No. 9 for the Nuggets.

What the two-way contract means for Denver

Nembhard can split time between the Nuggets and their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold. Two-way players can be on their NBA team’s active list for up to 50 regular-season games. That limit counts active-list games, even when a player does not enter the game.

Dallas converted Nembhard’s two-way deal to a standard NBA contract on February 28, 2026. His 60 NBA appearances last season therefore do not mean Denver’s new two-way deal permits 60 active-list games.

A two-way contract does not make a player eligible for the NBA postseason. Denver would need to convert Nembhard to a standard NBA contract before the start of its final regular-season game to put him on its postseason roster.

For the roster limits and conversion rules, see our NBA two-way contract explainer.

The separate waiver step

Denver’s announcement confirms its waiver request for Simpson, not a new destination. Our NBA waiver guide explains how claims and clearance differ from signing a new contract.

A rookie season that Denver saw up close

Nembhard arrives with a full NBA season behind him. The 23-year-old played 60 games for Dallas in 2025-26, including 27 starts, and averaged 6.6 points and 5.3 assists in 19.5 minutes per game, according to the Nuggets.

One of his best performances came against his new team: he scored a career-high 28 points and added 10 assists against Denver on December 1. He later recorded 23 assists against Chicago on April 12.

Those outings were part of a season in which Nembhard posted four double-doubles and reached double figures in assists six times. Denver is adding a guard with NBA ballhandling experience, although the announcement did not specify a rotation role.

A native of Ontario, Nembhard went undrafted in 2025 after spending two college seasons at Creighton and two at Gonzaga. The Nuggets announced Simpson’s requested waivers as the corresponding move.