Mavericks To Get Kyrie Irving Back, But Questions Remain Behind Him at Point Guard

The Dallas Mavericks will start training camp next week, and in preparation for that, we'll go position by position for a breakdown of the roster, giving fans a look at the upcoming season.

One of the many weaknesses the Mavericks had last year was the point guard play. It was so bad that Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall each started a handful of games at point.

A lot of that was due to Kyrie Irving missing the season while recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in March of 2025. He should be back and ready to go, as he'll be 18 months removed from the injury by the time the season starts.

Videos of his workouts and at camps have surfaced all offseason, and he looks primed for a bounceback.

It's an entirely new room behind him, though. Last season, the Mavericks had D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, Brandon Williams, Ryan Nembhard, and Tyus Jones (for 8 games) in the room, and they are all elsewhere.

Hardy and Russell were traded to the Washington Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade in February and have already been moved to other destinations (LA Lakers for Hardy, Grizzlies for Russell, for now). Williams signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Golden State Warriors. Jones was bought out and signed with the Denver Nuggets last season. Ryan Nembhard was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Zaccharie Risacher.

With Irving returning from injury, the Mavericks didn't feel the need to add a dynamic playmaker behind him yet, but they did make some changes.

February 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Shaq’s OGs guard Kyrie Irving (11) of the Dallas Mavericks controls the ball against Chuck’s Global Stars forward Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs during the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

New Mavericks Point Guards to Know

They traded for Marcus Sasser, whom the Detroit Pistons needed to move in order to sign John Collins. The Mavs were happy to take him into one of their exceptions, as he's entering the final year of his rookie contract. He's been a solid shooter and defender, but he hasn't been able to consistently find minutes in a crowded backcourt in Detroit.

Dallas is hoping he can find his footing as the former Houston Cougar is back in Texas. He averaged just 5.2 PPG last season.

The Mavericks also traded up from 30 to 25 in the 2026 NBA Draft to take Spain's Sergio De Larrea, a 6'6" guard with tantalizing playmaking skills.

He had 26 total assists in his final two games in the Summer League, but the scoring looks like it's going to take some time for him. He's not quite ready yet to go against NBA physicality.

Because of how shallow this room is, it wouldn't be surprising to see some lineups with Flagg or Marshall handling the ball again.

It also wouldn't be surprising to see the Mavericks trade one of their many frontcourt players for another guard, just to raise the floor in the rotation.

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