Mavericks' Marcus Sasser trade leaves a glaring problem unsolved

The Dallas Mavericks are expected to trade for Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser soon, and while the trade hasn't been officially finalized yet, it won't be enough to fix the Mavs' weak backcourt, which was a serious problem last season. Dallas rolled with Ryan Nembhard and Brandon Williams as their two starting point guards for most of last season, and this didn't yield the result that fans hoped for.

Dallas' offense was broken last season

The Mavs only won 26 games last season (their second-worst season of the 21st century), and their guard play was a major reason for this. Nembhard and Williams each had their moments, but they weren't good enough to hang with the best guards in the league. Dallas' backcourt clearly fell behind other teams around the league, and it didn't have enough firepower to give the Mavs an edge against top teams.

The team's D'Angelo Russell signing turning into a failure also held them back, and Dallas has to flip the script this summer. Sasser will add more scoring and shooting to the guard room, but he won't fix their problems on his own. He averaged a career-low 5.2 points per game for Detroit last season while shooting a career-high 41.5 percent from three.

Sasser will certainly benefit from having a bigger role, but expecting a year-four player who only played 12.0 minutes per game last season to stabilize an offense with little flow is a risky proposition.

Kyrie Irving can't solves the offense's problems on his own

Dallas was without Kyrie Irving for the entire 2025-26 season, and his return will obviously help, but the Mavericks can't expect Sergio De Larrea and Sasser to fix their lack of offensive initiators by themselves. De Larrea is an excellent passer, and Sasser is a great shooter who can score at all three levels, but they still need to target another guard in a trade or free agency.

Having De Larrea and Nembhard as the team's only point guards behind Irving could turn into a disaster, especially if Irving suffers another long-term injury. Sasser can serve as a lead ball handler when needed, but he's more of a shooting guard despite being the size of a point guard.

He is known for scoring in bunches, creating his own shot, and knocking down 3-pointers, but not for setting up his teammates. This could change upon landing in a new system, but Dallas can't count on it.

Dallas still needs another guard

They should operate cautiously, despite the Sasser trade, and a move for another guard should be in the cards. The Mavericks have more than enough wings and big men, and they should balance the roster by trading someone like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, or even Naji Marshall for another point guard with experience.

The Morez Johnson Jr. pick and the Santi Aldama trade made these players more expendable than they already were, and Dallas' frontcourt is going to have a serious logjam if they don't move some parts around.

Bringing in someone who can lead the offense or play alongside Irving should be a priority as the team looks to rebuild around Cooper Flagg. While the Sasser trade will help, don't expect him to be the savior.

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