What happened?
Valencia Basket loses one of its most prominent players, Sergio De Larrea, who has signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks. De Larrea had been with the team since 2018 and had become one of the generational references of Spanish basketball.
De Larrea's departure came after the team announced his disaffiliation after the payment of the NBA exit clause. De Larrea has already signed his new contract with the Mavericks and will make his debut in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Why is it important for Valencia Basket?
The loss of De Larrea is a blow to Valencia Basket, as the player had been fundamental to the team in recent years. De Larrea had proven to be a key player in the ACB league and had helped the team reach the final of the competition on several occasions.
| Season | Games | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | 32 | 12.1 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
| 2019-2020 | 30 | 14.5 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
| 2020-2021 | 34 | 16.3 | 4.5 | 6.2 |
| 2021-2022 | 31 | 18.1 | 5.1 | 7.1 |
What's next?
De Larrea's departure leaves Valencia Basket with a gap in its roster that will need to be filled in the coming months. The team will have to find a replacement for the player and try to maintain its level of competition in the ACB league.
De Larrea has left the door open for a possible return to Valencia Basket in the future. In his farewell message, the player expressed his gratitude to the team and the fans, and expressed his desire to return to the team at some point.
What has De Larrea said?
De Larrea has expressed his gratitude to Valencia Basket and has highlighted the importance the team has had in his career. The player has said that he feels at home in the team and that he will always be grateful for the opportunity he was given.
"Five years ago, a boy arrived with a dream and a new challenge to take advantage of. From the first day I felt like I was at home, the trust that Valencia Basket gave me is something that I will always be grateful for. During the first years I understood what they valued here, the player, the fans and all the people of the club. There are many experiences, learnings and above all friends. I want to start by thanking the entire Roig family for allowing me to be part of their project, the project of a city. To all the people who have traveled this path since I arrived, coaches, teammates, workers of Valencia Basket, to all the management of the club for helping me, trusting and developing a boy who came with all the illusion of the world, Chechu Mulero, Andreu Casadevall, Enric Carbonell and Luis Arbalejo. Finally, all that remains is to bid farewell to the heart of this team, the fans. Everything lived and shared will always remain in my heart, thank you Valencia Basket for this journey, I hope our paths will cross again",