The Mavericks have a roster problem on their hands, and Caleb Martin is the wrong guy to pay for it.
Dallas signed Dwight Powell and is reportedly weighing whether to keep the veteran center on the regular-season roster. The move puts the Mavericks at 16 players on standard contracts, which means someone would have to be moved out if Powell is going to stay. Martin looks like the obvious name to go, but that would create a much bigger financial headache than Dallas should be willing to take on.
Powell’s place in Mavericks history is secure. He’s fifth all-time in games played, sixth in rebounds and eighth in win shares among Dallas players.
But at this stage, he’s no longer making a real impact on the floor. He has played fewer than 1,000 minutes in each of the past three seasons and has settled into an end-of-the-bench role as he moves through the final stretch of his career.
That said, there’s still a reason the Mavericks would consider keeping him. Powell is respected in the locker room, brings a steady voice and is always ready if called upon.
The case for retaining him exists. The problem is finding a path to do it.
Dallas does have cheaper ways to clear a spot. Tarik Biberovic, Marcus Sasser and Moussa Cisse are all possible cut candidates, and none would be nearly as expensive to move on from. Biberovic is guaranteed only $3 million, Sasser is owed $5.2 million and Cisse’s $1.1 million salary is only half-guaranteed.
But each of those players brings more to the table than Martin does. Biberovic has yet to play a second in the NBA, but he’s described as a proven sniper who could help a Dallas offense that needs spacing.
Sasser offers proven shooting and much-needed guard depth on a roster short on ball-handling. Cisse gives the Mavericks a low-maintenance big at an affordable number, which makes him a cleaner keep than a player Dallas would be paying to move off.
Martin is the awkward fit. He’s a wing on a roster already heavy with wings, and while he can defend, he isn’t much of a floor spacer. Since arriving in Dallas at the 2024 trade deadline, he has struggled to find his footing.
Even so, the contract matters. Martin is owed roughly $19.4 million guaranteed across this season and the next, and Dallas can’t simply shrug that off. The team could use the waive-and-stretch provision, but that would spread the money over five years and leave the Mavericks paying him almost $4 million per season not to play for them.
That’s the real issue here. Powell may still have some value, but not enough to justify making Martin’s deal even uglier.
Dallas is already stuck with a hefty commitment to Martin, and stretching him just to keep Powell would only deepen the damage. For a team that’s leaning younger, that’s a price too steep to pay.
In Other News...
Mavs Camp Just Put One Key Injury Question Front And Center
Training camp opened with the Mavericks trying to get a clean read on a roster that has already spent some time on the injury report, and coach Dusty May laid out a mixed picture on the first day. Santi Aldama is limited by a minor issue, Max Christie is dealing with a bump and bruise that is not considered serious, and first-round pick Morez Johnson is trending in the right direction after missing Summer League games because of an illness. It was the kind of early-camp update that says more about pacing than panic, with Dallas still trying to settle bodies and roles before the season gets moving.
The bigger question sits with Dereck Lively II, who has been working outside of practice while recovering from foot surgery. He said he can run and jump, but the timetable for his return to full work remains one of the central storylines around camp, especially with the Mavericks eager to move past a difficult stretch and lean into the joy of basketball message their president highlighted at media day. For a team that wants to reconnect with its fans and establish a better tone, getting key pieces healthy is obviously part of the equation, and Livelys status is one of the first things everyone around the building is watching. [Read more 🡒]
Dereck Lively II Leaves Mavs Waiting On The One Thing That Matters
Dereck Lively II is back around the Mavericks as training camp gets rolling, but he is still not a full participant while he continues to work his way back from foot surgery performed in December 2025. Dallas is taking the cautious route with its young center, a sensible approach given how much of his early career has already been shaped by foot issues and surgery.
For the Mavericks, the priority is bigger than getting Lively back on the floor right away. They want him healthy for the long haul, and that patience comes with the usual waiting game for everyone involved because there is no timetable yet for when he will return to normal basketball activities. In a camp built around preparation and progress, his status remains one of the clearest reminders that the most important update is still to come. [Read more 🡒]
P.J. Washington Suddenly Feels Caught In Dallas New Direction
P.J. Washington arrived in Dallas as part of a clear win-now push, and the Mavericks backed that up by extending him after acquiring him in 2024. At the time, the move fit the kind of roster-building that suggested Dallas was trying to build around established pieces and keep pressing forward, with Washington giving the team a versatile frontcourt option that made sense in the moment.
Now the backdrop has changed almost completely. After trading Luka Doncic and pivoting toward a younger direction, the Mavericks are no longer operating with the same urgency that brought Washington in, and that leaves his place in the long view a little harder to pin down. He is still a useful player, but with the roster and timeline shifting around him, his future in Dallas feels less settled than it once did. [Read more 🡒]