Dwight Powell’s long stay in Dallas appears to be over after the Mavericks waived the veteran center Monday, closing the book on a 12-season run that began as a minor piece of the Rajon Rondo trade in December 2014.
A roster squeeze ends Powell’s Dallas tenure
Powell, 35, had returned to the Mavericks shortly before training camp last month, leaving open the chance for a 13th season with the club. But Dallas already held 15 fully guaranteed contracts, meaning a spot for Powell would have required another guaranteed player to be released.
The move leaves Powell’s Dallas résumé as one of the franchise’s longest recent player runs. He appeared in 768 NBA games, with all but five of those outings coming in a Mavericks uniform.
- Games played for Dallas: 763
- Career starts: 266
- Career averages: 6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 17.5 minutes per game
- Seasons with the Mavericks: 12
From the Rondo trade to a decade in the rotation
Powell arrived in Dallas in the December 2014 transaction that brought Rondo over from Boston. The deal involved five players and two draft selections, and Powell was the secondary addition alongside the former All-Star point guard.
Rondo’s Mavericks tenure ended quickly after a public clash with then-coach Rick Carlisle; he departed before completing a full season in Dallas. Powell, meanwhile, became the lasting piece of that trade, spending the following 11 complete seasons with the franchise.
His role shifted from year to year and often from week to week. Powell moved in and out of the center rotation over his time with the Mavericks, starting 266 games while also spending long stretches as a reserve big.
Dallas praises Powell’s impact beyond the floor
President of basketball operations Masai Ujiri called Powell a model representative of the organization during his years in Dallas.
“Dwight was the ultimate professional across his 12 years with the Mavericks and represented everything an organization wants from a player,” Ujiri said. “He worked relentlessly, was a tremendous teammate, and his influence reached far beyond basketball into the Dallas community.”
