Tarik Biberović did not arrive in Dallas talking like a rookie content to collect a jersey and a locker. He came with a clear message and the kind of confidence that usually comes from already doing the job against grown professionals overseas.
"I didn't come here just to be happy or just to be a part of the team, just to be an NBA player," Biberović said after practice. "That was like one of my first goals when I was in Europe.
I never wanted to be the guy who just came in NBA just to say he was in NBA. I came here to make an impact."
That line fits the profile he built in Europe. It also fits why the Mavericks brought him in.
Dallas badly needed shooting after finishing last season at 34.4% from 3-point range, 26th in the league, a number that helped drag the offense down to 27th overall. Biberović was identified as part of the fix.
The resume is real. Last season with Fenerbahçe, he was a full-time starter and averaged 11.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in roughly 24 minutes a night. More important for Dallas, he shot 41.9% from 3-point range on more than five attempts per game and hit 95.2% of his free throws.
That wasn’t a flash in the pan. The season before, he knocked down 43.2% of his threes while helping Fenerbahçe win the 2025 EuroLeague title.
His domestic numbers were even louder. In Turkish league play, Biberović averaged 12.6 points and connected on 49.7% of his 3-point tries. He also took home Turkish Cup Final MVP honors after a 28-point, 10-rebound performance in the championship game.
When the games got bigger, he didn’t back down. In five EuroLeague playoff games last spring, Biberović averaged 15.8 points and shot 52.9% from deep. That stretch included a career-high 26 points on 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range in Game 1 against Žalgiris.
Mavericks coach Dusty May said Biberović has already shown an NBA-level game and has been "probably a little bit further along" than he expected when camp began.
The challenge now is finding a lane on a crowded roster. Dallas has Cooper Flagg, P.J.
Washington, Naji Marshall and Zaccharie Risacher among its forwards, with Max Christie at shooting guard. Biberović is entering behind that group.
Still, shooting travels. If he can hold up defensively, a wing who can make 40% of his threes is the kind of player who starts forcing his way onto the floor, especially for a team that spent last season searching for spacing.
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Mavericks Opening Night Lineup Suddenly Feels Much More Settled
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Dusty May is expected to go with Daniel Gafford at center to begin the season, a familiar move for a player who has already started games for Dallas before. The more interesting wrinkle is what comes next: Gafford is slated to take on a bigger offensive role, and that could mean a different look for the Mavericks spacing if his game stretches beyond the usual rim-running duties. [Read more 🡒]
Dereck Lively II Just Became A Bigger Long-Term Mavs Question
Dereck Lively II has become one of the more interesting long-term decisions on the Mavericks docket, with the team facing an October 19 deadline to work out a rookie-scale extension. For now, the expectation is that Dallas will keep its powder dry and take a longer look, especially with Lively still working back from foot surgery and not yet ready to return to practice.
That creates an awkward but understandable pause for a player the Mavericks still view as part of their future, but one whose health and role need more clarity before any multiyear commitment. Recent reporting has also pointed to other players from the 2023 draft class being more likely to land extensions first, which only sharpens the question hanging over Lively as Dallas weighs recovery, fit and timing. [Read more 🡒]