Which Mavericks Acquisition Will Be the Biggest Surprise Next Season?

The Dallas Mavericks have made a lot of moves this offseason, drafting Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, Tobi Lawal and Vsevolod Ishchenko in the second round, and trading for Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic, Marcus Sasser, and Zaccharie Risacher.

The offseason isn't quite done, either. The Mavericks have 16 players on standard NBA contracts, so at least one more trade or waiver is coming.

Until then, we have a lot of new acquisitions to be excited about, while trying to see how they fit in Dallas.

Of the new acquisitions, Aldama is the most established player of the bunch. Everyone else has a lot of questions surrounding their game and possible fit in the NBA and with this team.

Lawal is on a two-way contract, and it looks like Ishchenko will be staying overseas next season, so they won't be considered. Of Johnson, De Larrea, Biberovic, Sasser, and Risacher, which one can take the biggest jump into next season to be a consistent role player, at least?

An argument can be made for Risacher, who was the former first overall pick just two years ago. However, it was a weaker draft class, and his ceiling might just be a 3&D bench wing. The Mavericks already have a lot of wings on this team, and while he could see some minutes at shooting guard, he's fighting for minutes there with Max Christie, Tarik Biberovic, and Klay Thompson.

Biberovic is a lethal shooter, and everyone is fascinated to see if he'll translate to the NBA after spending the last few years in Turkey. Johnson is in a loaded frontcourt, so playing time could be tricky, occasionally.

That leaves either De Larrea or Sasser to be the choice here. De Larrea showed off lethal passing at the NBA Summer League, but scoring could be an issue for him against NBA athleticism in his rookie season.

Which brings us to Marcus Sasser, who could find a bigger role than anticipated.

Mar 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) looks on during first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Marcus Sasser Could be a Hidden Gem

Sasser's playing time has gone down throughout his career, as he only appeared in 38 games for an average of 12 minutes per game last year. That could be a cause for concern.

However, the Mavericks desperately need a three-point shooting guard, and Sasser can absolutely be that.

Sasser has shot 38.6% from deep in his three seasons, improving each season. The Mavericks were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA last year.

There is also the contract year aspect of things, as Sasser is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, and if he doesn't perform well, he could be out of the league soon.

Dallas also just needs guard play. Kyrie Irving is the only guard you can count on entering the season, and he's 34 years old coming off an ACL injury. As fun as De Larrea was in the Summer League, he's still a rookie adjusting to a new league.

Sasser wouldn't have to be a primary ball-handler often, as he could be in lineups with Cooper Flagg and/or Naji Marshall. He could just focus on hitting threes and playing defense, and if he's able to do that, he should see a decent amount of playing time.

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