The Dallas Mavericks have been busy this offseason. Like, genuinely busy. Not the kind of busy where they just run back the same roster and hope Cooper Flagg turns into a superhero overnight. They actually went out and added pieces.
One of those pieces is a guy most NBA fans probably haven’t heard of: Tarik Biberovic. He’s a 6-foot-7 wing from Bosnia who spent this past season with Fenerbahce in the Euroleague. And according to at least one international scout, he’s not your typical European project who needs two or three years to figure out the NBA game.
Keith Smith reported that a scout told him Biberovic is the most plug-and-play Euro I’ve seen for the NBA in years.
The scout went on: He’s ready to be a rotation guy on Day 1 with his shooting.
That’s high praise for a guy who wasn’t even on the draft radar for most casual fans.
Biberovic shot just over 45% from three-point range in the Euroleague and Turkey’s domestic league combined. That’s not a fluke on low volume either. He took over four threes per game and hit them at that clip. For a Mavericks team that finished fourth-worst in the NBA in three-point percentage last season at barely 34%, that kind of shooting is exactly what they need.
Dallas also picked up Santi Aldama from Memphis, signed Marcus Sasser, and drafted Michigan center Morez Johnson and Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea in the second round. de Larrea played for Valencia in the Euroleague, so he and Biberovic have likely crossed paths. The front office kept its full mid-level exception intact too, which means they’re not done yet.
The real question is whether Biberovic can defend well enough to stay on the floor. He’s got the size and the shooting. But the NBA is a different animal. Euroleague success doesn’t always translate. Plenty of guys have come over with a shooting reputation and struggled to get shots off against quicker, longer defenders.
Still, the scout’s confidence is notable. And for a team that’s still trying to build around Flagg while competing now, finding a ready-made shooter who can slide into a rotation role without much fuss is a win. Let’s see how the Bosnian wing handles the jump.
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