Mavericks to Finally Get First Look at Offseason Trade Acquisition in Preseason Finale

The Dallas Mavericks are gearing up for their final preseason game of 2026, which will be tonight at home against the Atlanta Hawks,

Head coach Dusty May is treating this one like a dress rehearsal, hoping to have as many bodies as possible to see how it all works together. They've sat a lot of players throughout the preseason because of various injuries or rest, as Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving missed the last game.

One player we haven't seen at all is guard Marcus Sasser, whom the Mavericks acquired in a trade with the Detroit Pistons in the offseason. It was essentially a salary dump, as the Mavericks took him into one of their many exceptions without sending anything to Detroit, but it was part of a larger 6-team deal.

According to Coach May, he anticipates that Sasser will be making his preseason debut on Friday night.

This will be our first look at the entirely revamped point guard rotation this preseason. Irving has only played one preseason game, putting up 17 points in the second matchup, while rookie 25th overall pick Sergio De Larrea has played in all of them.

But to see what the rotation would look like with all three will be interesting. It wouldn't be surprising to see Sasser play with other strong ball-handlers, such as Naji Marshall or Cooper Flagg.

Sasser has missed most of the preseason due to adductor tightness.

Sep 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Marcus Sasser (8) poses for a photo during the Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Should the Expectations be For Marcus Sasser?

Marcus Sasser has every reason to prove himself. He's entering the final year of his rookie contract and has struggled to stay healthy for most of his career.

When he's been healthy, he's been productive, as he's a good shooter and a more than capable defender. However, he played just 37 games last season. He can't have another year like that if he hopes to stay in the NBA.

Sasser is a career 38.6% shooter from deep, and the Mavericks have needed three-point shooting. He isn't the greatest playmaker, but that's what Sergio De Larrea and Kyrie Irving are for.

They can let Sasser focus on off-ball shooting and playing strong defense, as point-of-attack defense was a need for them this offseason.

It'll still be up to Dusty May to get the most out of him, and everything we've seen out of May so far suggests he will. He's put a lot of energy into making this a great culture.

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