The Lakers may still have one more former Maverick in their sights.
With the Dallas Mavericks essentially set at 15 players after reaching a buyout agreement with Klay Thompson a few weeks ago, Dwight Powell looks squeezed out of a familiar home. Powell has spent 11 years tied to Dallas since coming over in the Rajon Rondo trade during his rookie season, and even with some talk that he might be considering retirement, that does not appear to be the direction this is headed.
Powell would likely prefer to wrap up his career in Dallas, but that does not seem to be a realistic path anymore. If he wants to keep playing, Los Angeles could be the landing spot, with Luka Doncic offering a familiar face.
“The most significant option for the Lakers could be Dwight Powell, the 6-10, 35-year-old big man who was teammates with Doncic for 6 ½ seasons in Dallas. Notably, Powell has played the most games as a teammate alongside Doncic (389) among the 98 players Doncic has played alongside in his eight-year NBA career,” Chobi Price of the New York Post wrote.
The Lakers have already reshaped their frontcourt this offseason by adding Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Kevon Looney, so Powell would not be walking into a major role. Still, any move that helps make Doncic comfortable is clearly part of the equation.
Los Angeles also missed out on Jonathan Kuminga, who chose to take less and sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
Powell has been a steady veteran presence for Dallas, and his best stretch came while playing alongside Doncic, when he started about half the games between 2019 and 2023. His numbers have fallen off in recent seasons, but the energy has not gone anywhere.
There is another layer of familiarity, too. Powell was with the Mavericks during the final half of the 2020-21 season when JJ Redick was there as well, and Redick is now the Lakers’ head coach. The Lakers also brought in Jaden Hardy this offseason as part of the move to get off Deandre Ayton’s contract, adding yet another former Maverick to the mix.
If Powell wants to extend his career, the Lakers could be the team that gives him that chance. And maybe, just maybe, he can talk Doncic into returning to Dallas when his current contract expires - though that part feels like a long shot.
In Other News...
Mavericks Avoided A Kawhi Leonard Risk At The Perfect Time
The Mavericks spent part of the summer weighing whether Kawhi Leonard could fit into their plans, but the conversation never turned into a deal. That choice looks a lot cleaner now, especially with the league having already handed down punishment to the Clippers over salary-cap violations tied to Leonard. Dallas, meanwhile, kept its focus on a different kind of roster build, one centered on younger talent and longer timelines rather than another veteran swing.
For a team trying to balance urgency with sustainability, Leonard was always going to come with real complications. The injury history, the age curve and the cost of chasing a star at that stage of his career all pointed in the same direction: a short-term splash, not necessarily a long-term foundation. The Mavericks instead stayed on the path of adding younger pieces such as Cooper Flagg, Zaccharie Risacher and Santi Aldama, a direction that may not carry the same immediate glamour but fits the broader plan better. [Read more 🡒]
Dirk Nowitzki And The Mavs May Finally Be Heading Somewhere Big
Dirk Nowitzkis relationship with the Mavericks has been in a rough patch during the Nico Harrison era, but the front office reset in Dallas has at least opened the door to a fresh conversation. Harrison was fired in November and replaced by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz, a change that immediately changed the tone around one of the most important figures in franchise history.
Nowitzki has already been in touch with Ujiri over the summer, and there is at least a sense that a future conversation about his place with the team is coming. No formal role has been set, which leaves the situation unresolved for now, but for a franchise that has long wrestled with how to reconnect with its greatest player, even the possibility of a new chapter carries weight. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Sent A Clear Message With This Long-Awaited Arrival
The summers wave of draft-and-stash signings has given several teams a cheap way to stockpile young talent, and Dallas has now joined that group by finally bringing Tarik Biberovic into the fold. Players like Biberovic spend years developing overseas after being drafted, then arrive when the timing is right for both sides, giving a club a chance to add another piece without having to navigate the usual free-agent market.
For the Mavericks, the move fits the broader offseason trend of trying to balance long-term upside with roster flexibility. It also underscores how much value teams still place on players who have been out of sight but not out of mind, especially when the front office believes the wait has been worth it and the player is ready to make the leap. [Read more 🡒]