Sergio De Larrea already faces a major Mavericks question before he even plays a game

Twenty-year-old rookie guard Sergio De Larrea hasn't even played a game for the Dallas Mavericks yet. But the biggest question about him and his game is already obvious ahead of the 2026-27 season: Is he ready for rotation minutes in the NBA?

Sergio De Larrea's Summer League was promising

De Larrea looked excellent at Summer League for Dallas, averaging a Summer League-high 8.8 assists per game, while also putting up 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. The young guard's playmaking was clearly NBA-ready, as he was picking apart defenses with his passing, comfortably operating out of the pick-and-roll, and making those around him better.

He has a gift for making the right reads, and his mind for the game alone should make him a high-level playmaker right away.

De Larrea was always willing to make the extra pass, and the precision of his passing was easily his biggest strength. Whether he was setting up shooters on the perimeter or throwing lobs to Morez Johnson Jr. and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Serguo had the ball on a string.

While passing and taking care of the ball were certainly his biggest strengths, his game also came with some flaws that were impossible to ignore. This is normal for rookies in Summer League, as it's the perfect time for them to grow and expand their games in a low-pressure environment, but it's also why it could take him some time to make a major impact in Dallas.

De Larrea still has multiple areas to improve

His handle needs work, he needs to put on strength, he's not much of a self-creator, and his jump shot has to be more consistent. De Larrea shot 27.3 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc in four Summer League games, and these numbers have to improve if he wants to be a steady option for Dusty May as a rookie.

We already know what we're going to get with his passing. He has a great feel for the game and can make nearly any pass. These are all great signs ahead of his rookie season, as his time spent playing professionally in Europe has prepared him well.

Still, he has to be able to score, occasionally create his own shot, and handle the physicality of NBA defenses if he wants a real shot at primarily playing the point guard position. This will determine whether he can run the offense or often plays off-ball with another guard.

How Dallas is already counting on De Larrea

The question of whether De Larrea is ready for NBA minutes is so pressing because of how thin the Mavericks' point guard depth is behind Kyrie Irving. De Larrea and Marcus Sasser are Dallas' two backup options behind their star guard. Sasser is more of a score-first guard than a table-setter, and De Larrea hasn't played a second in the league. This is a bit concerning for the Mavericks given how their point guards played last season with Irving out of the lineup.

This makes De Larrea's readiness for rotation minutes even more important, as May's options are limited regarding who he wants to run the offense when Irving is taking a breather. Dallas appears to trust De Larrea to be ready to be part of the rotation, as they traded Ryan Nembhard earlier this month, and Sergio seems ready as well.

The Mavericks don't need him to be a star right away, but they do need him to be a piece of the rotation. Dallas' depth chart makes it imperative that he's at least playable as a rookie.

Will De Larrea be prepared to be a key piece in May's rotation? Or will his weaknesses from Summer League balloon into a bigger problem?

The Spanish guard has plenty of time to work on his game, and struggles will come naturally, but Dallas' current roster construction makes his NBA readiness a crucial variable the Mavericks need to find out quickly.

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