Sergio De Larrea hasn’t played a game for the Dallas Mavericks yet, but the way the team has handled its roster says plenty about how it views him.
Dallas is thin at point guard behind Kyrie Irving. De Larrea and Marcus Sasser are the only other true point guards on the roster, while Cooper Flagg will also take some reps as the primary initiator.
Even with that limited depth, the Mavericks have not gone out and added another guard through a trade or free agency, and that absence speaks loudly. It suggests De Larrea is already being counted on for real minutes.
That trust makes sense based on what he showed after Dallas traded up to take him in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. Summer League gave the Mavericks plenty to like, especially in how comfortable he looked running pick-and-roll actions and pushing the ball in transition.
His passing already stands out. He sees the floor well, recognizes where teammates are, and can make advanced reads.
There are still clear areas he has to clean up. His self-creation and shooting need work, and he does not have the burst to simply blow by defenders.
Those were fair concerns during Summer League. But Dallas does not need him to come in and be a star.
The job is much more straightforward: give the team solid minutes behind Irving, protect the ball, and keep the offense organized.
If he plays close to the level he showed in Summer League, he could be one of the team’s best passers right away. That matters on a roster built with shooters and rim rollers who should make life easier for a young guard trying to run the show.
And the opportunity could grow even bigger depending on Irving’s availability. Kyrie missed the entire 2025-26 season with an ACL tear, and if Dallas manages his workload and brings him back gradually, De Larrea should see chances to carve out a role.
On nights Irving sits, Sasser and De Larrea would be the only true point guards active. Since Sasser is more of a self-creator than a table-setter, the Mavericks may not have much choice but to lean on De Larrea.
That leaves him in a position to do exactly what Dallas needs: organize the offense, get the big man involved inside, and move the ball to shooters on the perimeter. If he can handle the physicality and defense that come with the NBA, he has a real chance to make an impact as a rookie.
The Mavericks probably would have added more guard help this offseason if they viewed De Larrea as a longer-term project. Instead, they’ve made their belief clear by trusting him, Irving, and Sasser to keep things afloat. Dallas had point guard issues last season, but if De Larrea beats expectations, that could look a lot different very quickly.
In Other News...
Mavericks Suddenly Have A Kyrie Irving Question They Can't Ignore
The Kyrie Irving conversation in Dallas is no longer the kind of offseason chatter you can just file away and forget. There is still ongoing speculation around a possible trade, and the kind of destination that keeps surfacing is the sort that naturally turns heads because of the fit, the profile and the stakes for a Mavericks team trying to keep its footing while also thinking big-picture.
Miami has been mentioned as one place this could go if Dallas ever decides to explore it, and the Heats recent move to land Giannis Antetokounmpo only adds another layer of intrigue to their roster-building plans. If the Mavericks ever do open the door, the return being discussed would bring back Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic, which at least gives Dallas a starting point for thinking through what a deal like that would mean. [Read more 🡒]
P.J. Washington's Starting Role Suddenly Looks Far Less Safe
Training camp has not even sorted itself out yet, but the Mavericks already have a lineup question worth watching at power forward. A team insider has projected rookie Morez Johnson Jr., Dallas 2024 first-round pick, to open the season in the starting role, a development that would change the shape of the frontcourt and make P.J. Washingtons path to the first unit much less certain. For a team trying to balance size, versatility and lineup fit, it is the kind of early debate that can linger well into preseason.
Washington still has a strong case to stay involved in the starting mix, especially because his defensive versatility gives Dallas a look it values. His ability to handle multiple jobs on that end is part of why the Mavericks may be reluctant to move too quickly, even with a young big pressing for minutes. For now, though, the decision appears fluid, with camp and preseason expected to determine whether Dallas leans into the rookie or keeps Washington in place. [Read more 🡒]
Dusty May Is Putting Early Pressure On The Mavs Rotation
Dusty May is already putting a familiar message in front of his new Mavericks group, and it is one he says helped carry his Michigan teams through injury trouble and all the way to a national championship. The newly hired Dallas coach has leaned into a next-man-up mentality, stressing that every player needs to stay prepared for whatever role opens up, a fitting early tone for a roster trying to settle around Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
The timing makes the message even more relevant with preseason approaching and the regular season not far behind. May is using the summer to drill the idea that depth matters and that minutes can change quickly, which puts some pressure on the rotation picture before the games start to count on Oct. 21. Dallas will get its first chance to see how that looks in live action on Oct. 9, when the preseason begins against Houston in Macao. [Read more 🡒]