After three years with the Pistons, guard Marcus Sasser was traded to the Mavericks this season with a chance to prove Detroit wrong. Sasser excelled during his minutes on the court for the Pistons, but had a hard time coming by consistent playing time. In Dallas, he'll likely face the same situation behind Kyrie Irving unless the Mavericks make a big move by trading away Irving.
Sasser still has an obstacle to getting minutes
In Detroit, Sasser was naturally behind Cade Cunningham in the backcourt depth chart but struggled to establish himself as the backup point guard either. Despite the position being one that's open to competition on the Pistons roster, Sasser wasn't able to claim it last season. He lost out to Daniss Jenkins throughout the season and in the playoffs, despite Sasser's own talent.
In fact, Sasser steadily saw his playing time drop, both in terms of total appearances and minutes per game, in each of his three seasons with the Pistons. Despite some standout performances as a shot creator in limited minutes, Sasser couldn't earn the coaching staff's trust due to his deficiencies as a playmaker and defender. He might have had some of the traits most lacking in the Pistons with his tough shooting ability, but his flaws in the basics held him back.
Now Sasser finds himself on a similarly structured roster in Dallas. The Mavericks lack reliable ball-handling and shot creation outside of Irving, which could give Sasser more run if Irving is traded or has to miss time. But Sasser could still be forced to take a back seat because of his same weaknesses. For Dallas, his fit with Cooper Flagg will be paramount to getting more playing time; the best way to do that is by being an offball shooter and playmaker to take pressure off Flagg.
Kyrie's fate will determine Sasser's opportunity
The season hasn't even started, but the trade rumors around Irving have already started. He's much older than the Mavericks' core group, so it would make sense to deal him to a contender for the right price. In that case, more minutes should open up for other guards, depending on which players come back in the trade.
During Sasser's lone preseason apperance, he clocked in for 12 minutes - the third most of any point guard behind Irving and rookie Sergio da Larrea. The Mavericks will definitely be interested in developing Da Larrea further this season, considering that he was just selected in the first round a couple months ago. But Sasser could be a more immediately competitive option, especially as he recovers from his recent injury.
Still, a proper opening won't come for Sasser unless Kyrie is out of the rotation. In that case, his skillset could look very valuable in Dallas where shooting and ball-handling are arguably even more needed than in Detroit.
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