What Should the Dallas Mavericks do With Dwight Powell?

The Dallas Mavericks should look to move Dwight Powell this summer, a conclusion many people have already come to. Could the Milwaukee Bucks be a potential destination for the young power forward?

Last summer was a mixture of a free agency disappointment for the Mavericks, while also being an extremely productive summer. While the pursuits of Mike Conley and Hassan Whiteside both came up short, the signings of Harrison Barnes and Seth Curry proved to be extremely productive additions to a team needing to get significantly younger. Among the other moves of that summer were the addition of Andrew Bogut, and the retentions of Deron Williams and Dwight Powell.

The re-signing of Dwight Powell was clearly the right move for the Mavs at the time the deal was inked. A year later, that 4/yr, $37 million contract he signed with the Mavs looks more like a waste of cap room than anything else.

The backup power forward has failed to make any consistent progress since his arrival from Boston in the infamous Rajon Rondo trade. The Mavs have done the right thing in prioritizing youth and development over star-chasing, but the patience has to be running low on the inconsistent Powell.

Dallas Mavericks

The Canadian has averaged just below 6 points for his career, and under 4 rebounds a game, low numbers for a player the Mavs are paying to be a key rotation piece off of their bench to spell Dirk Nowitzki. The new contract Powell received appeared to be a consolation prize for the Mavs after the Rondo debacle that saw Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, and valuable draft pieces go out the door.

Moving forward, the Mavs have to be searching the horizon for Dirk Nowitzki’s successor. Powell was never going to be able to step into Dirk’s shoes, but he was expected to make quantum leaps from where he currently stands.

If the Mavs want to get the team in a better position to pursue the exact free agents they want to pursue, and beef up their draft ammo, then it would make ideal sense for the team to trade Powell. Teams like the 76ers and Kings could use a developmental power forward to try and accelerate their rebuild, but the ideal trade scenario for Powell would be the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jason Kidd’s Bucks have been overachievers since the former Maverick’s arrival at the helm in Milwaukee. The Greek Freak, Greg Monroe, and Khris Middleton have catapulted that team into the playoffs, but showed no consistent bench play.

Milwaukee is the ideal trade destination for Dwight Powell. The Mavs could likely net a draft pick from the Bucks, but only a second rounder. if the team threw in Wesley Matthews or J.J. Barea, then they may have a chance to grab a first round pick.

Next: Dallas Mavericks: Where Will the Bronze Dirk Go?

The rebuild in Dallas is going to take time, but the Mavericks cannot hang onto players that will not be key cogs on the team once the organization feels they are ready to put the finishing touches on a championship-caliber team. Clearly, Dwight Powell will not be that guy, and it’s time that the Mavericks yielded something while his value is still somewhat high.