Mavericks' Sergio De Larrea move makes fan-favorite free agent the odd man out

As the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft was coming to a close, the Dallas Mavericks acquired Sergio De Larrea in a four-team deal, and this move could force Dallas to let Brandon Williams walk in free agency. De Larrea joins Dallas from the EuroLeague and Liga ACB squad Valencia Basket, and he's a taller guard who showed promise as a three-level scorer and playmaker in Spain.

Williams is a proven commodity in Dallas and is elite at attacking downhill and getting to his spots in the mid-range, but he played himself out of a veteran's minimum deal this past season. He averaged a career-high 13.0 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field, and some team will give him a pay raise after proving he can be a valuable spark plug for an entire season.

Consequently, the 26-year-old guard could very well find himself on a different roster by the time training camp rolls around, with Dallas drafting a different prototype of guard in the first round here.

It should be noted that Dallas' plans with De Larrea are not concrete yet, as it has been mentioned that he could be a draft-and-stash candidate, but this would be fairly shocking considering he is a first-round pick at the end of the day.

Sergio De Larrea selection makes re-signing Brandon Williams unlikely

If it gets announced that De Larrea will continue to spend next season in Spain and doesn't join Dallas' Summer League roster, then perhaps this could be the saving grace that warrants Masai Ujiri and company having the ability to re-sign Williams this offseason, but this doesn't appear to be the case at the current moment in time.

Taking into account that Dallas has a $2.1 million team option on second-year guard Ryan Nembhard that they will likely exercise, they won't be able to bring all of their small guards back, and they should covet the fact that De Larrea offers a different look as a bigger-bodied playmaker.

De Larrea is a crafty finisher and passer, but there are concerns in terms of how his game will translate to the athleticism of the NBA, so this is a tentative scenario that Mavericks fans will have to monitor in the next couple of months.

There are still some factors keeping hope alive for Williams to come back

Perhaps Dallas could wait to see how he performs at Summer League before making a decision on giving him a guaranteed contract, or draft-and-stashing him for another season, but they'd run the risk of Williams simply joining another team in that immediate timeframe since he's an unrestricted free agent.

Williams has become a fan-favorite over the last few seasons in Dallas, and it would certainly hurt to see him go after the best season of his career. His finishing, ball handling, and speed in the open court reminded MFFLs of Kyrie Irving, and he was definitely someone who they gravitated toward during last season's 56-loss campaign. He was one of the few bright spots in a very dark season, and he'll be missed if he departs in free agency.

Unfortunately for the big B-Will fans in Dallas, drafting a point guard with a first-round pick is a sign that he could already be on the way out.

It's definitely promising that Dallas was able to trade up in the first round to get a young guard, as that was a huge area of deficiency still after going with Morez Johnson Jr. at No. 9, and De Larrea could very well be talented enough from the jump to make Dallas bite the bullet on not re-signing Williams.

With Irving back in the lineup next season, Williams' skillset won't be as coveted anymore, but his speed and ball-handling ability are not factors that should be underrated, as he has two seasons under his belt proving he can be an effective role player in this league. Definitely don't take De Larrea's inclusion on Dallas' roster as a sign that Williams is gone for certain, but it wouldn't be surprising if this is the selection that forces Williams out the door.

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