Sergio De Larrea gives the Mavs as many questions as answers at summer league

The Dallas Mavericks have found a gem in first-round draft pick Sergio De Larrea. The incoming rookie is lighting up summer league with his court vision and creative passes, thus giving Mavericks fans reason to believe the franchise could develop a top-tier playmaker again.

With De Larrea struggling to score with anything resembling efficiency, however, the question persists: How often can he realistically play alongside Cooper Flagg in 2026-27?

De Larrea enters the NBA as one of the most prolific young international players in the world. He helped Valencia win Liga ACB in 2026 and the Spanish Supercup in 2025, winning the Liga ACB Best Young Player Award and the Spanish Supercup MVP honor along the way.

Though several others have taken home the hardware, as well, it's worth noting that former Mavericks franchise player Luka Doncic was a two-time Liga ACB Best Young Player award winner.

That's made it easy to get excited about the fact that De Larrea looks the part of a tremendous playmaker. Whether he's running the pick-and-roll, pushing the pace in transition, or throwing up lobs to cutting bigs, the 20-year-old has made every possession feel like a highlight waiting to happen.

One simply can't gloss over the fact that he's shooting 27.3 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from beyond the arc—even if it is just summer league.

Sergio De Larrea: Excellent playmaker, insufficient shooter?

There's reason to believe that this is a mere flash in the pan. De Larrea shot 40.7 percent on 3.3 three-point field goal attempts per game during the most recent Liga ACB season, and buried an absurd 50.0 percent of his 1.9 attempts per contest during the 2024-25 campaign.

In saying that, the FIBA three-point line is closer than the NBA's. Furthermore, he shot 34.3 percent in 36 Euroleague games in 2025-26, which suggests his efficiency may not be a complete reflection of his ability.

If that proves to be the case in the NBA, and De Larrea struggles to shoot, it will become difficult to justify playing him alongside Flagg. Flagg is a high-usage forward who needs optimal spacing in order to play his ideal style as a downhill finisher and interior scorer.

De Larrea can certainly help Flagg get ideal looks as an off-ball scoring threat, but if defenses sag off of the rookie, it will create narrow driving lanes for the franchise player to operate within.

The good news, of course, is that De Larrea already seems to have a skill that he can hang his hat on. That should give the Mavericks reason for optimism, as he's been nothing short of electric when prioritizing opportunities for his teammates.

First-year head coach Dusty May is simply going to have to figure out how to prioritize De Larrea's development without interfering with Flagg's ideal style of play.

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