Sergio De Larrea already looks like the solution to the Mavericks' glaring hole

After just two NBA Summer League games, Dallas Mavericks rookie Sergio De Larrea has already proven that he has real lead-guard potential. One of the Mavericks' biggest roster holes is their backup point guard spot behind Kyrie Irving. While De Larrea will have to beat out Ryan Nembhard and Marcus Sasser for that job, he has already proven he can play point guard effectively during his time at the NBA Summer League.

Sergio De Larrea can play point guard

One of the biggest questions about De Larrea following the 2026 NBA Draft was what position he would play in the NBA. The 6-foot-6 Spaniard proved he can run an offense while playing for Valencia, but his lack of burst and still-improving handle had fans worried that he wouldn't be able to shoulder ball-handling duties in the NBA.

NBA defenses and athletes are completely different from what he faced while playing for Valencia in Europe, but he has already shown that he can play on and off the ball through two NBA Summer League games.

De Larrea finished with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 3-for-14 from the field in his first game on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. While he didn't shoot well, everything else looked great.

De Larrea was making the right read over and over again, moving well without the ball, and flashing his playmaking skills. He clearly looked like he belonged despite the shooting struggles, and he kept this up in his second Summer League game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

De Larrea's passing has stood out

De Larrea finished with five points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 2-for-4 from the field and 1-for-1 downtown. He didn't shoot as much as he did in his first game against the Lakers, but his passing vision was on full display.

His highlight play of the night was a right-handed alley-oop hook pass from past the 3-point line on the right wing to Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu for a dunk. De Larrea put this pass right at the rim for his big man, and this play alone shows why he should be playing much more point guard over Dallas' last few Summer League games. He also made an incredible between-the-legs pass to Morez Johnson Jr. in transition for a dunk.

De Larrea and Nembhard have shared lead-guard responsibilities so far at Summer League, but it's time to let Sergio spread his wings. He doesn't seem overwhelmed by tight on-ball pressure, and his guard skills are there.

"He looks like someone that played point guard growing up," Mavs Summer League head coach Joe Boylan said on Saturday night. "His passing, his vision, his IQ, those are things of somebody that has probably been playing the position for a long time."

De Larrea looks like a legitimate option at point guard, and the Mavericks may have found an answer to one of their biggest roster problems. There are going to be some growing pains, as shown by his turnovers against the Lakers, but his IQ, passing, and positional size make him an intriguing long-term solution behind Irving.

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