The Mavericks are still waiting for two rookie pieces to settle in, but both Sergio De Larrea and Morez Johnson Jr. are moving in the right direction.
Johnson, the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has been the more limited of the two. He missed the final three Las Vegas Summer League games with left calf soreness, and Mavericks coach Dusty May said Monday that the forward is getting closer to a return to full participation.
“He’s working his way back. He’s close,” he said to start Monday’s media availability.
May did not get into what has been bothering Johnson, but the rookie was back around the work Monday, getting reps on his hook shot and jump shot with multiple Mavericks player development and assistant coaches. He was in a gray jersey, the same color worn by Tobi Lawal and Dwight Powell.
De Larrea, taken No. 25, has been more active in the mix and has leaned on Santi Aldama to help him adjust to life in the NBA. The two already know each other well from the national team, and that connection has made Aldama a useful guide for the rookie guard.
“We are friends. We play together, national team, we know each other and I think we also have a good chemistry,” De Larrea said. “So it’s perfect for me to have him here to learn and to share some experience with him.”
Aldama is entering his sixth season and has playoff experience, though he has been limited in practice after receiving a knee injection at the end of the Memphis Grizzlies’ season. Even so, he’s still been a steady resource for De Larrea.
The 6-foot-6 point guard flashed during the Mavericks’ Las Vegas Summer League run as a playmaker and 3-point shooter, but smaller defenders made life tougher. Those matchups led to turnovers, and De Larrea said he has been working to handle different types of defenders better.
“We are working on playing against small guards, big guards, big centers, small centers, everything to try to find my game against these kind of players,” he said. “And try to also add more skills to my package.”
He has also been spending time with new Mavericks assistant coach Willie Green after scrimmages, focusing on getting to specific spots on the floor and cleaning up his shooting form. At times, Green would walk over after a missed jumper and gently turn De Larrea’s hips toward the basket.
There’s also been work on the details of the offense: running pick-and-rolls, pulling up against centers and shooting off screens.
May said the Mavericks want to play at a faster tempo this season, and that has helped De Larrea settle in. The rookie said that style feels familiar after playing for Valencia last season, one of the quickest teams in the EuroLeague.
“The pace is a little bit higher for sure, but it’s been more or less easy to adapt to the game,” De Larrea said. “And to try to play as fast as possible and get the fastest shots possible and the best shots possible.”
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