The Mavericks are down to 15 players after moving on from veteran center Dwight Powell, the team announced. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the decision.
Powell had been the longest-tenured player in the organization, spending the past 12 seasons in Dallas after arriving in a 2014 trade. He came back on an Exhibit 10 deal shortly before training camp opened, with a $1MM guarantee attached. That number would have climbed to $1.5MM if he had earned a spot on the opening night roster.
After waiving guards Seth Lundy and John Poulakidas, Dallas still needed one more cut to get to the regular-season limit. The obvious names on the table were Moussa Cisse, Caleb Martin and Marcus Sasser, but each of those paths would have meant giving up more guaranteed money than simply releasing Powell. Cisse would have been the cheapest of that group at $2.2MM this season, though Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported late Sunday night that multiple teams were interested in claiming the 24-year-old center if he became available.
Powell’s role had shrunk last season, when he appeared in 63 games, made 12 starts and averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.3 minutes a night.
He had been trying to squeeze in one more NBA season and played in three of Dallas’ four preseason games this month. Coach Dusty May praised his approach, saying he was a veteran willing to handle the small jobs that help a team function.
“Dwight has been very valuable so far to us,” May said. “I think it’s evident that when he is on the floor, we function well.
It’s been a joy to get to know him and be around him. I try to stay out of that fray, deciding those types of things, but Dwight, he’s been very, very good for us.”
In the team’s release, president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri offered a long farewell to Powell, calling him “the consummate professional throughout his 12 seasons with the Mavericks and embodies everything you want in someone representing your organization,” and adding that he “will always be part of the Mavericks family, and Dallas will always be a home for him.”
In Other News...
Mavericks Still Have One Backcourt Problem They Shouldn't Ignore
The Mavericks are heading into their first regular-season game still carrying a familiar concern in the backcourt. Shot creation remains an issue behind Kyrie Irving, and the depth chart does not leave much margin for error if Dallas needs another ball-handler who can ease the load and help keep the offense organized when Irving is off the floor.
One name that fits the conversation is Walter Clayton Jr., who could be a sensible target for that open two-way slot after Dallas waived John Poulakidas. Clayton showed enough as a rookie to make the idea worth a look, averaging 7.8 points and 4.0 assists per game, and he would give the Mavericks another option in a part of the roster that still feels thin. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Made A Veteran Roster Call That Says Everything
The Mavericks latest frontcourt move says plenty about where the franchise is headed. After bringing back Dwight Powell, a longtime veteran presence who has given the team stability inside, Dallas found itself sorting through a crowded roster and the realities of who it wants to invest in now. The decision points to a front office balancing short-term familiarity with a broader push to keep building for the future.
Moussa Cisse is at the center of that calculus. His game is still raw, but the Mavericks have clearly decided that his development matters more than leaning on an established option to soak up a roster spot. For a team managing depth in the paint, it is a sign that Dallas is willing to make uncomfortable veteran calls if it believes the long view is worth it. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Face A Roster Squeeze If This Big Man Hits The Market
The Mavericks still have some trimming to do before the Oct. 19 roster deadline, and Moussa Cisse appears to be one of the names most vulnerable as Dallas sorts out the back end of the roster. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that if Cisse is waived, there would be no shortage of interest around the league, with teams already watching how the situation unfolds.
For Dallas, that creates a familiar late-camp decision point, where a young players future can hinge on timing as much as talent. The Hawks are among the teams said to be interested if Cisse becomes available, along with Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, setting up a possible scramble should he clear waivers and hit the open market. [Read more 🡒]