As the Dallas Mavericks retool their roster around Cooper Flagg, there is a question that remains for the longest-tenured Maverick on the roster.
Dwight Powell's future has not been decided yet, but he has signaled he still wants to be in Dallas. Can he still be an asset to this team? Or has he become the Udonis Haslem of the Mavericks' locker room? NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required) said that Powell has expressed interest in still playing with Dallas, but they may not have enough room for that.
"Dallas currently has 16 players on its roster on standard contracts, one above the in-season maximum, but I'm told veteran center Dwight Powell and his representatives have maintained a dialogue with the club in hopes that he still factors into their plans somehow."
Can Dwight Powell still be a fit with the Dallas Mavericks?
An NBA team can have 15 standard contracts on its roster, so the Mavs are already in a jam with no room at all to sign any free agents. Masai Ujiri already made a lot of movement this offseason, and it's fair to say that there's no room for Powell to be on this roster.
In his career, Powell has averaged 6.5 points and 4.2 rebounds. He started in every game of the 2022 playoffs when the Mavericks made the conference finals against the Warriors. He's been there when he's been needed, but in 2022-23, the Mavs didn't have a whole ton of reliable big men.
Now, with Morez Johnson Jr. and Santi Aldama coming in, Powell's minutes may be cooked. If P.J. Washington's future is a question mark, what does that mean for Powell?
Powell is a veteran piece that could make things easier for first-year head coach Dusty May. It wouldn't mean he would play a whole ton of minutes, but he would be the player that everybody would turn to.
Powell came to Dallas in 2014 as part of the Rajon Rondo trade. If Mavs fans remember, they wanted nothing to do with Rondo after he laid an egg and quit on his team. 12 years later, Powell has been the best part of that trade. It would've been crazy to say in 2014, but it's true.
There have only been a handful of Mavericks to stay that long, and fans can't instantly forget his contributions over 12 years. That should never be left unsaid, but there's always an ending at some point.
There's a lot to think about when it comes to Powell's future, but there's been too much movement this offseason to think about Powell getting legitimate minutes. There's still a chance the Mavs keep him, but he's only going to be nothing more than a locker room voice.
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