Dallas added four European players this offseason, giving Dusty May a deeper mix of shooting, size and playmaking around Cooper Flagg.
Masai Ujiri's first offseason running the Mavericks came with a clear international accent and the approach fits his track record. Long before he became one of the league's most respected executives, Ujiri built his reputation as one of basketball's sharpest evaluators of overseas talent, starting as an international scout with Denver before becoming the Raptors' director of global scouting.
That eye defined his career. He drafted French guard Evan Fournier in Denver, then in Toronto selected Austrian center Jakob Poeltl, Cameroonian forward Pascal Siakam and English-born wing OG Anunoby. He also traded for Congolese star Serge Ibaka. Those pieces formed the backbone of an NBA championship team.
So when Dallas added four European players this summer, all newcomers, the moves fit a pattern Ujiri has followed throughout his career. Each has a legitimate case to contribute right away and together they give Dusty May a versatile, skilled group of international players to work with in his first season.
Here's a look at the four Europeans set to suit up for the Mavericks this season and what each brings.
Santi Aldama is the most established of the group. The 25-year-old Spanish big man arrived in the offseason's six-team blockbuster after a career year in Memphis, where he averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 35.3% from 3-point range before a knee injury ended his season early.
Aldama is a modern stretch big, a 6-foot-11 forward who can space the floor, pass and defend multiple positions. He fits seamlessly into Dallas' frontcourt and projects as a rotation piece from the moment the season tips off. Of the four, he's the safest bet to play meaningful minutes.
Zaccharie Risacher carries the most pedigree. The 20-year-old French wing was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft before Dallas acquired him in a three-team deal. Even coming off a down sophomore year in Atlanta, Risacher has the tools that made him the top selection, a 6-foot-8 wing who can shoot, defend and grow alongside Cooper Flagg. He averaged 12.6 points while shooting 35.5% from 3-point range as a rookie and a change of scenery could help unlock the upside that made him so coveted. He should slot into the wing rotation immediately.
Tarik Biberovic is the sharpshooter of the bunch. The 25-year-old Bosnian wing came over via the same six-team trade that brought Aldama and he might be the best pure shooter Dallas added all summer. Biberovic shot 40% from 3-point range in the EuroLeague last season and owns a 42.3% career mark from beyond the arc. For a team that badly needed floor spacing, a knockdown shooter with his track record could carve out a role quickly, especially in lineups designed to open driving lanes for Flagg and a returning Kyrie Irving.
Sergio de Larrea is the youngest and rawest, but also one of the more polished 20-year-olds you'll find. The Spanish guard, acquired in a draft-night trade after being taken 25th overall, brings four years of professional experience with Valencia Basket in the ACB and EuroLeague. He's a 6-foot-6 playmaking guard who made the All-Liga ACB Young Players Team, won Spanish Supercup MVP and helped Valencia win a league title, all before turning 21. He then backed up the hype in Las Vegas, emerging as one of Dallas' standouts at Summer League.
His playmaking popped in a 14-assist performance against Oklahoma City, showing the kind of floor general he can become. With guard depth a genuine question behind Kyrie Irving and Marcus Sasser, de Larrea could find himself thrown into the rotation sooner than most rookies. The front office reportedly wanted him stateside rather than stashing him overseas and that backcourt need could hand him real minutes right away.
Every one of these four can shoot, pass and play within a system, exactly the kind of high-IQ, positionally flexible pieces that fit around a young cornerstone like Flagg. Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz clearly prioritized basketball intelligence and international experience this summer and the result is a roster with a genuine European backbone.
There's a reason for the strategy, too. European players often arrive in the NBA with years of experience competing against professionals in leagues such as the ACB and EuroLeague. That experience gives Dallas players who have already faced high-level competition while still having room to grow.
Whether all four crack the rotation on opening night depends on how the roster shakes out and the depth Dallas has assembled means minutes will be competitive. But Aldama, Risacher, Biberovic and de Larrea each bring something the Mavericks need.
Together, they represent one of the more intriguing international additions any team made this offseason. The Cooper Flagg era is taking on a distinctly global shape and that appears to be by design.
