Mavericks are quietly preparing to replace longtime fan-favorite with lurking rookie

Dwight Powell has been a fixture on this Dallas Mavericks team for over a decade, practically something no one would've expected when Powell was a shoo-in when traded with Rajon Rondo back in 2014, but rookie center Moussa Cisse's rise has put Powell's future in Dallas beyond this season into question.

Powell has still gotten some decent minutes this year, given how depleted Dallas' big man corps has been. While his effort level and knowledge of the playbook are never a question, he simply isn't the same player he used to be from an athleticism perspective, and Cisse is already more talented than him overall.

Powell is in the last season of a three-year, $12 million deal, and despite fans putting him in fake trades for several seasons only for him to continue to remain in Dallas, it seems very likely Dallas will honor the remainder of Powell's contract at this point. Powell will turn 35 years old next offseason, and unless Dallas' talent pool is so elite next season that they can afford to keep Powell on a minimum slot, it seems very likely Cisse will get signed to a standard deal to be Dallas' reserve center.

Moussa Cisse will eventually steal Dwight Powell's spot in rotation

Cisse is still very raw from an offensive perspective, but he's one of the best rookie rim protectors in the entire NBA, and impressively fought his way to a two-way contract despite coming into camp on an Exhibit-10 deal. Cisse just turned 23 years old a few months ago, and while he's not quite the rim roller Powell is even at this point, he undeniably has more potential than Powell ever had because of how solid his shot blocking is already.

Powell has been great for Dallas' organization because of his leadership and involvement in the community, but allotting a spot for him in the modern NBA is very difficult considering he's a net-negative on defense, and an average offensive player compared to what he used to be.

Continuity and leadership are important, but Powell's already been playing the Markieff Morris type of role for a couple of seasons now, and Cisse is deserving of remaining in Dallas beyond this season based on what he's shown.

Cisse has already burned through 31 of the 50 games he's eligible for on his two-way deal, and with fellow two-way signee Ryan Nembhard seeming like the most viable candidate to earn a standard deal if the Mavericks create the space for it this season, it's unlikely Dallas creates the space to sign Cisse to a standard deal as well this season.

But the Mavericks would be naive to let Cisse slip through the cracks en route to signing Powell to another deal, especially given how Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford are whirling in trade rumors, and Dereck Lively II is one of the most injury-prone players in the league despite only being 21 years old.

While the center position seemed like a logjam for Dallas heading into the season, this clearly isn't the case anymore, so if Dallas has to sacrifice Powell for Cisse next summer, it will ultimately be the necessary move for Dallas, despite Powell's great tenure in Dallas.