Mavericks' First-Round Pick Eager to Learn From Kyrie Irving

Sergio De Larrea is ready to be under Kyrie Irving's wing.

Dec 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) laughs with his teammates during the game between the Mavericks and the Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Mavericks have an exciting young guard prospect, as Sergio De Larrea has been putting on a show at the NBA Summer League this week.

The Spaniard, who was the 25th overall pick acquired by the Mavs in a draft night trade, has combined for a whopping 26 assists in his last two outings, with each outing being the two most assists in a game for any Maverick in a Summer League game, per NBADraft.net.

There is just one Summer League game left on Friday night against the New York Knicks, and then there will be a few months for players to prepare for the preseason and regular season.

After De Larrea's 14-assist outburst on Thursday evening, he was asked by Toni Canyameras of Mundo Deportivo about the first thing he's going to ask Kyrie Irving once he's able to meet him.

"Above all, about leadership, how he leads the team in his area of the game," De Larrea said, translated. "He's a great leader, not just as a player, but as a person. I want to learn how he does those things in such a complicated and competitive environment."

👨🏻‍🏫 Sergio de Larrea y lo primero que va a preguntar a Kyrie Irving

“Sobre todo por liderazgo, cómo lidera él al equipo en su área de juego. Es un gran líder, no ya como jugador, sino como persona. Quiero aprender cómo hace esas cosas en un ambiente tan complicado y competitivo” pic.twitter.com/PyzwGwf4bk

— Toni Canyameras (@Canyameridis71) July 17, 2026

People thought De Larrea would be a better shooting guard immediately because of his ability to shoot the ball, but he's been a much better playmaker out of the gate than anyone expected, even if he was great in the pick-and-roll in Spain.

It's hard not to see the play-style similarities to Luka Doncic, someone he grew up rooting for. He's not nearly the shot-maker Doncic is, but the passing is very reminiscent. Pin-point lobs, no-look passes, and even behind-the-back... All give glimpses of the player Doncic was in Dallas.

Sergio De Larrea was in full facilitator mode vs. OKC!

De Larrea: 14 AST
Dallas as a team: 26 AST

The No. 25 overall pick and the @dallasmavs secure the dub in Las Vegas 🙌 pic.twitter.com/G36SpcGTWi

— NBA (@NBA) July 16, 2026

Kyrie Irving Could Be Perfect Leader for Sergio De Larrea

Kyrie Irving has already proved he can thrive with other ball-dominant players, making the NBA Finals alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, winning a championship in 2016.

His scoring prowess will be big as De Larrea learns to grow as a scorer, something he struggled with in the Summer League. Some of it was likely adjusting to the three-point line, but he also just has to get stronger and more physical.

De Larrea being able to learn from Irving, who is arguably the greatest off-the-dribble scorer the game has ever seen, will be a tremendous help.

Irving has also come into his own as a leader after rocky times with the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics. He'll have something to prove this year as he returns from his ACL injury.

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