Kyrie Irving’s return is one of the biggest reasons the Dallas Mavericks have buzz heading into the 2026-27 season, but it also brings an old problem back into focus. When Irving sits, the burden shifts to a group that has already been asked to carry too much.
That’s the part Dallas can’t ignore. Irving is back from the March 2025 ACL tear that wiped out last season, and while he remains one of the league’s most electric guards when healthy, he won’t be available every night. The Mavericks have to be smart with his workload, and another injury would be devastating.
The team has lived through this before. A season ago, Dallas opened with Brandon Williams, Ryan Nembhard and D’Angelo Russell handling the guard minutes behind Irving, and none of them are still on the roster now. That should tell you everything about how that stretch went.
Now the Mavericks are staring at a similar setup. Their current point guard group is Irving, Sergio De Larrea and Marcus Sasser, which means there are only three true point guards on the roster. When Irving is out, De Larrea and Sasser will be carrying a huge load.
There’s reason for curiosity there, but also plenty of uncertainty. Fans are eager to see De Larrea’s passing and Sasser’s shooting, yet neither has proven himself as a dependable backup point guard.
Sasser came off a career-low 12.0 minutes per game last season with the Detroit Pistons, while De Larrea is a 20-year-old rookie who has never played in an NBA game. Even with Cooper Flagg sliding over to point guard at times, Dusty May is going to need a lot from both guards.
That’s where the real test lives for Dallas. The Mavericks’ frontcourt gives them depth, but the shot creation behind Irving is thin, and that becomes a problem fast when he’s not on the floor. Dallas doesn’t have many players who can get their own shot on a nightly basis.
Even with Irving active, the pressure is on Sasser and De Larrea to outperform expectations. Once the games matter most, guard depth gets exposed quickly, and the Mavericks are hoping those two can answer a challenge the team knows all too well.
In Other News...
Klay Thompson Just Handed Mavericks Fans A New Preseason Slight
Klay Thompsons arrival in Miami already had enough intrigue attached to it, but the move came with a familiar sting for Mavericks fans too. After clearing waivers, Thompson signed with the Heat on a first-year deal worth $5.6 million, a structure that gave Miami the flexibility it wanted while adding a veteran scorer with championship experience to a roster chasing a bigger spring.
At his introductory press conference, Thompson framed the coming season as a redemption year, which fit the tone of a player trying to reset the conversation around him. He later sharpened that message in an interview, making clear that his new team views the road ahead one way while Dallas is stuck dealing with the optics of an old rival now talking like he has found a better landing spot elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Face New Kyrie Irving Debate At The Worst Time
Kyrie Irvings return from a torn ACL gives the Mavericks a big swing piece heading into next season, but it has also reopened a familiar conversation about how he fits long term. Dallas expects him back on the floor, and for a team trying to keep its competitive window open, that alone makes him one of the most important names on the roster. Still, whenever a star guard carries both high-end talent and a complicated track record, the noise around his future rarely stays quiet for long.
Some of that noise has come from outside the building, with trade speculation surfacing as the Mavericks weigh their next steps around a roster built to contend. For now, the front office is publicly signaling calm, and Irvings recovery only adds another layer to the equation: Dallas wants to see what this group looks like when he is healthy again, even as the league keeps wondering whether the conversation eventually shifts in a very different direction. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Face A Risky Daniel Gafford Decision They Can't Ignore
Daniel Gafford has lingered in trade conversations since before the 2025 deadline, and the Mavericks still have to weigh whether his value on the market is worth the protection he gives them in the frontcourt. As Dereck Lively IIs primary backup, Gafford has become more than just a useful reserve center for Dallas. He is part of the insulation around a roster that still has enough flexibility to make moves, but not enough certainty to ignore the risks of thinning out a spot that already depends heavily on health.
The problem is that the Mavericks cannot treat the center position as if everything will hold steady. Livelys injury history has already made frontcourt depth a real concern, and moving Gafford would leave Dallas with a far narrower margin for error if the season turns rough in a hurry. For a team trying to balance present ambition with long-term roster construction, this is the kind of decision that can look tidy on paper and turn messy fast once the games start piling up. [Read more 🡒]