The first trade of the Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz era was orchestrated on draft night in a multi-team transaction that allowed the Dallas Mavericks to acquire the draft rights to Sergio De Larrea
Dallas entered the 2026 NBA draft with the No. 9 and No. 30 overall picks, but sent the latter selection to the Phoenix Suns in a four-team trade. The Mavericks received the No. 25 pick and the rights to the 20-year-old point guard from Spain
Those who weren’t familiar with De Larrea’s fascinating playing style had a quick introduction during his four-game stint in the Las Vegas Summer League, where he dazzled as a facilitator and showed glimpses of why he could be a steal in this year’s draft class
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How would he describe his game to someone who’s never watched him play before?
“I have this European style,” De Larrea said. “I try to pass the ball a lot. I try to get the ball to the best guy possible.”
De Larrea’s childhood idol was Luka Doncic, who starred for Real Madrid before he was acquired by the Mavericks on draft night in 2018. For that reason, he’s considered himself a longtime fan of the Mavericks and takes pride in the full-circle moment
“It was crazy,” De Larrea said of watching Doncic play in Spain. He mentioned Doncic’s multifaceted offensive skill set as to why he was drawn to the former Mavericks superstar
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After losing Doncic to “The Trade,” the Mavericks have severely lacked a player with De Larrea’s size and vision who can complete passes in traditional and unconventional ways
De Larrea’s vision as a playmaker was evident throughout the summer as he dished out 35 assists in Las Vegas and showed an innate ability to pass the ball. He racked up 26 of those helpers over the final two games, including his 14-assist performance in a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder
Shortly before those impressive playmaking performances, De Larrea said he was most comfortable with sharing the ball and playing with pace, especially in transition. That was on full display in his final exhibition, when he threw a handful of lobs to Dallas highflyers Tobi Lawal and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu
De Larrea perfectly placed the ball in the vicinity of the rim and Lawal and Akobundu-Ehiogu handled the rest with their athleticism and explosive finishing ability. When the paint was clogged, De Larrea had the wherewithal to penetrate and dish out to the team’s sharpshooters, John Poulakidas and Darin Green Jr
When De Larrea suits up for the Mavericks next season, he’ll have lob threats such as Cooper Flagg, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford on his side, along with 3-point snipers like Kyrie Irving and Max Christie waiting beyond the arc. He’ll also have stiffer competition waiting to disrupt those passing lanes. Not to mention, players looking to enforce their physicality, an area he admitted was the biggest adjustment in summer league
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“They play more physical here,” De Larrea said. “There is a lot more contact and less fouls with your hands and with the body contact. I think I have to be more aggressive, to finish better with contact and that’s my progression right now.”
De Larrea’s creative flair has drawn comparisons to Goran Dragic and Ricky Rubio, the former NBA point guard and Spaniard whom he models his game after. Like Rubio, who was a phenomenal playmaker but struggled to consistently make 3-pointers, De Larrea wants his perimeter shooting to translate to the NBA. He shot 42.9% last season with Spain’s Valencia Basket, but made 20% on five attempts per game in Las Vegas
“It’s different compared to Europe,” De Larrea said. “I have to figure out how to shoot more from my lower body. I’m not used to that type of range, so I have to practice more, keep shooting and someday I will score more.”
The 6-6 guard averaged 9.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 23 games last season for Valencia Basket, earning the 2026 Liga ACB Best Young Player award. The Valladolid, Spain, native has been named to the All-Liga ACB Young Players Team in each of the last two years and garnered 2025 Spanish Super Cup MVP honors after helping Valencia capture a championship
Whether De Larrea’s game translates to the NBA remains to be seen, but he has the natural abilities and physical size to be successful, along with a handful of veterans to help him get acclimated to a new league and new country
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De Larrea was the 13th guard selected in his draft class, one that featured six in the lottery. Darryn Peterson, Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings and Brayden Burries were considered the class’s cream of the crop for backcourt options
The Mavericks had an opportunity to select the best guard available in Burries, but preferred Michigan forward/center Morez Johnson Jr. with their No. 9 selection. Burries went 10th overall to Milwaukee
De Larrea may not have entered the NBA with the notoriety of those dynamic guards, but perhaps he can play his way into Dusty May’s rotation if his game translates quickly. And if he does, he’ll join a list of successful post-lottery steals drafted by Ujiri that already includes Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby
