Mavericks cut Dwight Powell, closing 12-year chapter

Juan Ocampo / Getty Images

Mavericks cut Dwight Powell, closing 12-year chapter

Originally posted on Lindy's Sports | By Eman Zahra | Last updated Oct 20, 2026 8:13 PM ET

The Mavericks waived the 35-year-old center, closing a 12-year stay that began when he arrived as the secondary piece in the 2014 trade that brought Rajon Rondo from Boston. The move came at the roster deadline.

Dallas had to cut one more player after already waiving Seth Lundy and John Poulakidas, Hoops Rumors reported.

Powell re-signed just as training camp opened, according to the AP, but Dallas already had 15 guaranteed contracts. Keeping him meant cutting someone else. Hoops Rumors listed Moussa Cisse, Caleb Martin and Marcus Sasser as the alternatives, all younger and owed more guaranteed money than Powell.

Waiving him was the cheapest way to get to 15. It also kept Cisse, who Marc Stein reported is of interest to Chicago and Atlanta, with the 76ers and Lakers also eyeing him for a two-way deal.

Powell’s career numbers describe a role player who lasted

Powell played 763 games for Dallas, fifth-most in franchise history, averaging 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds, per NBA.com. NBC DFW noted he sits fourth in team history in field goal percentage at .606.

Last season he averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.3 minutes across 63 games, according to rg.org. He is a Toronto native, and he leaves as the longest-tenured player the franchise has had in years.

Last season he averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.3 minutes across 63 games.Zhizhao Wu / Getty Images

Dallas’s new leadership thanked him on the way out

Team president Masai Ujiri called Powell a “consummate professional” in the team’s statement. Teammate Kyrie Irving said, according to the Dallas Morning News as relayed by Mavs Moneyball, that Powell “will really be missed.”

Mavs Moneyball also pointed to a fan account on X that has tracked every time Powell takes an elbow to the face since 2022, and which put out its own farewell. It is a fitting tribute to a player whose value never showed up in highlight reels.

What comes next for Powell is still an open question.

Powell is on track to become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday if he clears waivers, Hoops Rumors reports.

A coaching job is not imminent either. Mavericks coach Dusty May told DLLS that Powell joining the staff “hasn’t been discussed at this point,” per Mavs Moneyball.

The teams chasing Cisse were looking for a different kind of player, so Powell’s market is hard to read.

A veteran reserve big who understands his role is useful to plenty of contenders, but at 35, he may need a camp invitation or a late-season call. Dallas now sits at 17 players, including two on two-way deals.

This article first appeared on Lindy's Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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