The Mavericks made a move earlier this offseason that hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention: Marcus Sasser is in Dallas now, and it could matter a lot more than the noise around it suggests.
Most of the buzz has gone elsewhere, with Dallas’ trade for Zaccharie Risacher and the selection of Morez Johnson Jr. grabbing the spotlight. But after a 56-loss season defined by shaky guard play, the Sasser addition has a chance to become one of the more important pieces of the offseason.
For Sasser, the fit starts with a simple truth: he needed a reset. The Dallas native was buried on the Detroit Pistons bench last season, where head coach J.B.
Bickerstaff clearly didn’t lean on him much and even had him sitting through some DNP-CDs. Detroit also reached a point where it couldn’t afford to wait on his growth after climbing into the group of top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Now he gets the kind of opportunity that can change a young guard’s path.
In his final season with the Pistons, Sasser put up 5.2 points and 2.0 assists per game while knocking down 41.5 percent of his 3-pointers in just 12.0 minutes per game. That’s the kind of production that hints at more if the minutes and responsibility rise. Over his three years in Detroit, he built a reputation for 3-point shooting, shot creation, and energy - the exact traits Dallas could use more of.
The Mavericks’ point guard depth also gives him a real opening. Right now, the only point guards under contract for next season are Sasser, Kyrie Irving, and Sergio De Larrea. Irving will obviously start, but Sasser has a legitimate shot to win the backup job if he puts together a strong training camp and preseason.
De Larrea will be part of that conversation too, thanks to his size and passing. Still, Sasser brings experience, shooting, and a score-first approach that could put him near the front of the line for Dusty May’s rotation.
What makes him especially interesting in Dallas is the shooting. Mavericks fans have always appreciated guards who can stretch the floor, and that’s been one of Sasser’s calling cards since the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. He has hit 38.6 percent of his 3s on 3.0 attempts per game for his career, with the kind of quick release and deep range that plays whether the shot comes off the dribble or off the catch.
He’s also not limited to one backcourt spot. Sasser can score well enough to handle either guard role, even if he’s a bit undersized for shooting guard.
Dallas, though, has enough size around him to help cover that up with Cooper Flagg, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford, along with several other lengthy wings. His effort, on-ball pressure, and 6-foot-7 wingspan also help him offset some of the size concerns.
The bottom line is that Dallas needed more juice in the backcourt, and Sasser brings exactly that. His shooting and three-level scoring give the Mavericks a different look, and if he turns this chance into a productive season, he could push his way into the team’s core.
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