Mavericks' First-Round Pick Receives High Praise From Kyrie Irving

The Dallas Mavericks have two first-round rookies to break in for the first time since 2023, as they selected Morez Johnson Jr. 9th overall and Sergio De Larrea 25th overall.

Johnson was a curious selection, given the Mavericks' depth in the frontcourt, but he's a monster defensively and can allow them to toy with smaller, more versatile lineups.

De Larrea can be the guard of the future for an organization that has been searching for answers at guard since inexplicably trading away Luka Doncic. They've had Kyrie Irving, but he tore his ACL a month after they traded Doncic, causing him to miss all of last season.

Irving should be back and ready to go this season, and while he enjoyed the "player-coach" role last year and wants to get back on the court, he also realizes he can be a mentor for a player like De Larrea.

"He’s a high-IQ player already. He’s a winner, comes from a winning franchise overseas, and you can tell that he’s thirsty for knowledge," Irving said after the first training camp practice on Saturday.

"That's what you want in a young guy. He's very tall for his size... Part of him is just adjusting to the physicality, adjusting to the pace, quickness, and I think he'll be fine. He's going to be learning on the fly like a lot of our young guys, but he can always lean on me... We're rooting for him, he works his butt off, and that's all you gotta do."

Kyrie Irving when asked about Sergio De Larrea calling him the “perfect” teammate to learn from and how he can help the young rookie:

“Gave him a thousand dollars…He’s a high-IQ player already. He’s a winner, comes from a winning franchise overseas, and you can tell he’s… pic.twitter.com/UFQ2cLSrUj
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) September 26, 2026

De Larrea is listed at 6'6" on the Mavericks' training camp roster, which is the height teams look for in their guards these days. While Kyrie Irving and Jalen Brunson are still effective players, teams love versatility, which is something De Larrea brings.

You can tell De Larrea watched a lot of Luka Doncic while he was with Real Madrid, as the playmaking is off the charts, but the scoring is going to take some time for him to get used to.

Sep 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Sergio de Larrea (55) poses for a photo during the Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Will Sergio De Larrea Play a Big Role This Season?

The Mavericks have some unanswered questions in their backcourt entering the season.

They know they're getting Kyrie Irving back from injury, but behind him, it's only Sergio De Larrea and Marcus Sasser, whom they acquired from the Detroit Pistons in what was essentially a salary dump.

While Sasser has shown some flashes, he has yet to show that he can be a consistent player in the NBA. And while De Larrea has a lot of talent and showcased his passing ability in the NBA Summer League, it'll take time until he's ready to go against the NBA's physicality.

It'll be interesting to see how new head coach Dusty May handles the point guard rotation in the early parts of the season, because it wouldn't be surprising for Kyrie Irving to miss the second game of a back-to-back as he returns from his ACL injury.

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