After quite the confusing trade that has only just been ironed out and completed, Sergio de Larrea, a Spanish guard from Valencia Basket, is a Dallas Maverick. The destination is the journey, and the journey was confusing, but the end result of de Larrea joining the Mavericks is one that can be a good one. At the end of it all, Dallas ends up with de Larrea to pair with Morez Johnson Jr., the ninth pick.
I got the chance to write the Sergio de Larrea player profile for the site, which can be found here. It’s all still very relevant today and is a good introduction to a player that will come in as a relative unknown. Because of that unknown, the natural question will be asked about whether the Mavericks will bring de Larrea over for next season, or if they will stash him for another year at Valencia Basket.
Sergio de Larrea is good enough to step into the NBA next season and not immediately drown in the game. He’s been playing against grown men at Valencia for three seasons now across La Liga (ACB) and the EuroLeague, the latter of which features several former NBA players. Of the things to worry about, how de Larrea can handle physicality and professional basketball are not issues.
Part of the reason de Larrea started rising in this draft process was the shooting. After injuring his shoulder in the 2024-25 campaign, which forced him to withdraw from last year’s draft, de Larrea shot it at nearly 40% across ACB and EuroLeague play on a respectable three attempts per game. That might not sound like a ton of volume, but when you consider de Larrea is playing 15 to 20 minutes per game, the three-point rate is quite good.
Yes, the turnovers and fouling are issues that need to be rectified, but I think those can be massaged out of his game as he continues to mature and grow as a player. Some of his turnovers are coming because he has the vision to try some wild passes, which can lead to “pick-sixes” going the other way. Sergio could also stand to be a better finisher at the rim, especially on drives. But the best news of that is with his 6’6″ frame, there’s tons of room for him to add muscle to be able to finish more efficiently at the rim.
The bottom line is this: None of what I see as areas of growth in de Larrea’s game come from physical issues.
While it’s likely de Larrea won’t play for the Summer Mavs in Vegas, as he’s playing for an ACB title with Valencia this week, it’s that experience that tells the story of why he’s ready to make the jump now. This is not a player who needs to adjust to the pro game, he’s been a professional for years. This is also not a player who is unfamiliar with the physicality and standard of what being a professional looks like. He hasn’t been taking accounting 101 at 9:30 in the morning. The learning that needs to happen is finding out how to counter and play well against NBA players. He’s got the skills and abilities to be an NBA player already; he wouldn’t have been drafted otherwise.
There comes a time in life for everyone where you have to take the leap. It’s no different in basketball, and no different for a guy like de Larrea. The work has been done, the time has been put in, and as a competitor, you always want to reach the highest level of your craft. Sergio de Larrea can be an NBA player next year. The Mavericks need to ensure that becomes the reality.
