Dwight Powell is heading overseas.
The veteran big man is in the process of finalizing a one-year contract with Fenerbahce, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. That would send Powell to Istanbul after the Mavericks waived him ahead of the start of the regular season.
Powell, 35, spent almost all of his 12-year NBA career in Dallas after arriving from the Celtics in a trade during his rookie year in 2014. In 763 regular season games with the Mavericks, the 6’11” forward/center averaged 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game while shooting 60.5% from the field.
For years, he was part of Dallas’ frontcourt mix as a starter at times and a steady reserve later on. More recently, his value had grown just as much through his presence in the locker room as through his minutes on the floor. Last season, he appeared in 63 games and posted 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.3 minutes a night.
Powell had been in camp with the Mavericks this fall on a minimum-salary deal that was partially guaranteed for $1MM. Keeping him on the roster would have forced the team to move or waive a player on a fully guaranteed contract, and the front office ultimately chose not to go that route. That left the Canadian big man out when Dallas locked in its 15-man roster.
There had been some talk that Powell might find his way back to Dallas if a roster spot opened later in the season, but that no longer appears to be the path. Instead, he is set to make his first appearance in EuroLeague play.
If the agreement is completed, Powell will join a Fenerbahce squad based in Istanbul that has been a yearly threat at the top end of the competition. The team has reached the EuroLeague Final Four in each of the past three seasons and won the title in 2025. Its roster already includes several former NBA players: Shane Larkin Talen Horton-Tucker, Braxton Key, Wade Baldwin, Trent Forrest Nicolo Melli, and Johnny Juzang.
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