Mavericks' Risacher and Howard moves double down on Masai Ujiri's risky philosophy

The Dallas Mavericks have made plenty of moves in this 2026 NBA offseason, and the two latest additions of Zaccharie Risacher and Jett Howard are proving Masai Ujiri's preference for obtaining lengthy wings. While this worked in the past during his time with the Toronto Raptors, it's a risky approach for a current Mavs team that has a serious lack of ball-handling guards on the roster.

Despite the Mavericks' need for more guard play, Ujiri signed Howard last week and traded Ryan Nembhard to acquire Risacher.

Howard will provide shooting on the wing, and Risacher has great potential, but Ujiri is not aiming to fix Dallas' positional imbalance right now. This could get extremely dangerous, as the Mavericks are overloaded on the wing but thin at guard.

Masai Ujiri has a clear type

At this point, it's very evident that the reputation Masai Ujiri has built up regarding his preference for long and lengthy wing players is valid. Historically, with the Raptors, Ujiri prioritized adding players like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. But even when drafting, Masai would target players of the same build, with two of his more recent Raptors draft picks, Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, being proof of that.

This summer is no different for Ujiri in his first offseason as the Mavericks' president of basketball operations. The Mavericks have made trades for Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic and Zaccharie Risacher. They drafted Tobi Lawal and, most recently, signed Jett Howard to a two-way contract. None of those players are under the height of 6-foot-7, and every one of them can be described as either extremely athletic or lanky.

While the Mavericks' additions this offseason have different skill sets and can make a positive impact on the team, there has been a big hole in this roster all summer. The lack of creators and ball-handlers is an issue that has yet to be resolved. Masai Ujiri has doubled down on his risky philosophy of prioritizing lengthy wings, and with his history, the ball-handling issue might not get solved at all.

Mavericks are counting on Kyrie Irving and Sergio De Larrea

Given the lack of ball-handling on the Mavericks' roster, another thing is very clear: the Mavs will have to rely a lot on Kyrie Irving and first-round pick Sergio De Larrea to create for the team. After trading away Ryan Nembhard in the Risacher deal, Irving and De Larrea are really the only two guards on the roster that are capable of making plays for others at a high level.

Marcus Sasser, another offseason addition for the Mavericks, is a guard, yes, but his game is mostly about scoring rather than setting up others. And free agent guard Brandon Williams seems like he won't return to Dallas, even after a career year.

While Irving has a lot left in the tank and De Larrea showed off his playmaking skills in the Summer League, it is going to be difficult for this team to rely on a player coming off an ACL injury and a 20-year-old rookie to have the bulk of ball-handling responsibility. Now, Cooper Flagg will likely also command the offense a good amount, but he's likely best used as a secondary playmaker to be at his absolute best.

The Mavericks still have many questions to answer before this offseason is complete, but it is clear that Masai Ujiri is going to load up on athletic wings with good length and versatility before prioritizing guard depth. Risacher is capable of revitalizing his career in Dallas, and many of the additions are likely to make an impact. But it remains to be seen if the team will try to obtain another ball handler to better balance the roster. If they are unable to, the Mavericks might expect some offensive struggles again this upcoming season.

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