The Mavericks may wind up watching Brandon Williams walk, but they’ve already taken steps to make sure that loss doesn’t hit nearly as hard.
Golden State’s interest in Williams, confirmed Wednesday morning by our own Grant Afseth, makes sense on the surface. He just turned in the best season of his NBA career, giving Dallas 13.0 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 66 games while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and averaging 22.2 minutes a night.
Now 26 and an unrestricted free agent, Williams carved out a real role in the Mavericks’ backcourt. If the Warriors turn that interest into a deal, Dallas would be losing a productive piece from last season’s rotation.
But the Mavericks haven’t spent the summer standing still.
They added the draft rights to Sergio De Larrea, whom the Los Angeles Lakers selected with the No. 25 overall pick in June. The 20-year-old Spanish guard, listed at 6-foot-6, averaged 9.4 points and 3.5 assists for Valencia Basket last season and shot 42.9 percent from 3-point range.
Dallas also brought in Marcus Sasser in July as part of a multi-team trade, giving the team another guard with NBA experience to fold into the backcourt mix.
Neither move is a straight replacement for Williams. De Larrea hasn’t played a regular-season NBA game yet, and Sasser’s recent role and production aren’t the same as what Williams gave the Mavericks last season. Keeping Williams would still matter.
Still, Dallas is in a better spot now than it would have been before those additions. De Larrea offers a younger developmental guard with elite playmaking ability, while Sasser gives the Mavericks another option with three seasons of NBA experience. Together, they don’t erase what Williams brought, but they do give Dallas more ways to cover the minutes and responsibilities he would leave behind.
That’s why Golden State’s interest is easier for the Mavericks to absorb. Williams earned the chance to see what his best NBA season has created for him, and if that path leads to the Warriors or another team, Dallas at least has a backcourt plan that’s already been reinforced.
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