Marcus Sasser’s path in Dallas may come down to one thing: what happens with Kyrie Irving.
The former Pistons guard was moved to the Mavericks this season after three years in Detroit, giving him a fresh shot to show he belonged in a bigger role. But the same issue that followed him with the Pistons could easily follow him again. He flashed when he got minutes, yet never managed to secure steady run, and Dallas looks like another roster where opportunities may be hard to come by unless Irving is moved.
That was the story in Detroit almost from the start. Sasser sat behind Cade Cunningham in the backcourt pecking order, but even the backup point guard job never really became his. Despite competition for that spot, he couldn’t take it last season, with Daniss Jenkins getting the edge through the year and even in the playoffs.
The playing time trend was not in Sasser’s favor, either. Over his three seasons with the Pistons, his appearances and minutes per game dropped each year.
He did deliver some eye-catching stretches as a shot creator in limited minutes, but his issues as a playmaker and defender kept him from earning real trust from the coaching staff. His shooting punch was useful, especially for a team that needed it, but the basics held him back.
Dallas offers a different kind of opening, at least on paper. The Mavericks don’t have dependable ball-handling or shot creation outside of Irving, which means Sasser could become more relevant if Irving is traded or misses time. But the fit still comes with the same warning label: if he can’t clean up the flaws that limited him in Detroit, he could be pushed aside again.
His role with Cooper Flagg will matter, too. To get on the court more often in Dallas, Sasser will need to work as an offball shooter and playmaker who can ease the pressure on Flagg.
And the Irving speculation is already there before the season has even started. Because Irving is older than the rest of the Mavericks’ core, trading him to a contender for the right price would make sense. If that happens, minutes could open up for other guards, though it would depend on who comes back in the deal.
Sasser’s lone preseason appearance offered a small hint of where he stands. He played 12 minutes, the third-most among Mavericks point guards behind Irving and rookie Sergio da Larrea. Dallas will want to keep developing da Larrea, a first-round pick from a couple months ago, but Sasser may be the more ready-made option right now, especially as he comes back from his recent injury.
Even so, the cleanest route to real opportunity is simple: Kyrie Irving would have to be out of the rotation. If that happens, Sasser’s skill set could become a lot more useful in Dallas, where shooting and ball-handling may be even harder to find than they were in Detroit.