The Dallas Mavericks aren’t messing around this offseason. And if the latest rumors are anything to go by, they’re looking at adding a guy who quietly shot over 41 percent from three last season.
Marcus Sasser, the Detroit Pistons guard who just finished his third year in the league, is reportedly on Dallas’s radar in a big way. NBA insider Marc Stein dropped the news Tuesday morning that the Mavericks have emerged as a serious trade suitor for the 25-year-old. Stein’s report, citing league sources, made it clear that Dallas is actively working toward a deal with Detroit.
Sasser’s numbers don’t jump off the page — 5.2 points and 2.0 assists in about 12 minutes a night across 38 games. But context matters. He shot nearly 42 percent from deep, which is exactly the kind of floor spacing a team looking to build around Luka Doncic (or any star) would want. His role was limited in a Pistons rotation that somehow finished with the best record in the East (60-22) before falling to Cleveland in a seven-game second-round series.
Detroit’s season was a surprise to most people. They were supposed to be a year or two away. Instead they grabbed the No. 1 seed and pushed the Cavs to the brink. Sasser wasn’t a huge part of that playoff run, but his regular-season efficiency caught the attention of teams looking for backcourt depth on a cheap deal.
Dallas has been one of the more active teams early in free agency. That’s partly because of the front-office shakeup — Masai Ujiri came in as president and immediately started reshaping the roster. The Mavericks have a new look and they’re clearly not done.
The Kawhi Leonard thing is still real
You can’t talk about the Mavericks’ offseason without mentioning the elephant in the room. Multiple reports have linked Dallas to Kawhi Leonard, the seven-time All-Star who hasn’t played a full season since 2019 but is still one of the most talented two-way wings in the game.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Christian Clark and Dan Woike, the Mavericks and Clippers have discussed a trade package that would send Leonard to Dallas. The reported offer includes P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson and draft picks. That’s a serious offer for a guy who can’t stay healthy, which tells you how badly Ujiri wants to make a splash.
Ujiri and Leonard have history. They won a title together in Toronto back in 2019. That connection is apparently real enough that both sides are exploring the possibility of a reunion. But it’s not a done deal. Leonard has also been connected to a potential return to the Raptors, with Brandon Ingram possibly heading to the Clippers as part of that negotiation.
Dallas might end up with Sasser, Leonard, or neither. But the pattern is clear. This front office is pushing hard, making calls, and trying to upgrade the roster however they can. Free agency hasn’t even fully opened yet and they’ve already reshaped the conversation around their offseason.
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