Dallas Mavericks rookie Sergio De Larrea is drawing comparisons to former Mavericks star Luka Dončić early in the season.
In his first significant minutes of the season Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs , the rookie from Spain delivered the best performance of his young NBA career.
In 33 minutes, De Larrea, the 25th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, scored 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. He also added five rebounds and four assists.
After playing fewer than eight combined minutes in the Mavericks' first two games of the season, the 20-year old rookie got his opportunity with both Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg sidelined.
Even ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon acknowledged the rookie's impressive performance on the latest episode of "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective."
"He had a really impressive home debut," MacMahon said in the episode. "There was a little hyperbole from the gentleman next to me who's been covering basketball around these parts since the ABA days, who was making the comparison to another guy who came to Dallas from the Spanish league. We're going to calm down on that, but it was an impressive home debut. He showed some real touch; he's got some playmaking flair."
Windhorst then discussed the Mavericks' interest in De Larrea that led to team acquiring his draft rights. The New York Knicks originally selected him before trading his rights to Dallas.
The Mavericks' new General Manager, Mike Schmitz, was hired this spring. Schmitz previously worked alongside Windhorst and MacMahon at ESPN, where he was a draft analyst from 2017 until joining the Portland Trail Blazers' front office in 2022 .
"He is well-known for being very interested in scouting, drafting and developing international players," Windhorst said.
Schmitz serves as the Mavericks' general manager under new team president Masai Ujiri.
Irving also praised De Larrea back on Sept.26, before the rookie's breakout performance.
"He's a high-IQ player already. He's a winner, comes from a winning franchise overseas and you can tell he's thirsty for knowledge," Irving said, via Mavericks reporter Noah Webber . "We're rooting for him, and he works his butt off and that's all you have to do. You want to be known for your work ethic and prove to your guys you can earn your respect in practice and on the floor."
De Larrea played for Valenica Basket Club in Spain during the 2025-26 season, appearing in 59 total games. He averaged 6.8 points on 44% shooting in 14.5 minutes per game.
There is clearly some joking behind the comparisons to Dončić, from fans and reporters alike. But as the old saying goes, there is a grain of truth in every joke.
With a Mavericks roster in flux, featuring a mix of young players looking to establish themselves and veteran contributors, it will be intriguing to see how De Larrea's develops alongside Cooper Flagg and how high his ceiling might be as the season progresses.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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