Dwight Powell's overseas move proves the Mavericks made the right call to move on

After spending 11.5 seasons playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Powell is heading to the EuroLeague. The 6-foot-10 center signed a one-year deal with Fenerbahce on Friday, the same team that Tarik Biberovic played for before joining the Mavericks this summer, proving that Dallas was smart to move on when they did.

Dwight Powell didn't draw NBA buzz on the open market

While Powell will always be remembered in Dallas for his hustle, heart, and leadership that he provided from 2014 until this year, he didn't get picked up by any NBA team after the Mavericks waived him at the end of training camp earlier this month. Teams across the league had the chance to claim him off waivers or sign him once he became a free agent, but no one did.

This suggests that teams didn't believe in the 35-year-old enough to give him a deal, and the basketball reasons for why the Mavericks waived him made sense. DP was once a great roll man and strong offensive player due to his basketball IQ and decision-making when he caught the ball inside the arc, but his impact fizzled out over the last few years.

Powell's production has been steadily declining

He could typically be trusted to make the right play when the ball was in his hands, and this part of his game helped earn Dusty May's trust during training camp and the preseason, but the stats don't lie. Powell averaged 12.7 minutes per game over the last three seasons, and he went from a rotation staple to an end-of-the-bench guy.

He started 266 games for the Mavs and once had a strong connection with Luka Doncic in the pick-and-roll, but the days of him being a high flyer who was constantly catching lobs are over.

The Mavericks keeping Powell would've been a huge gamble

Additionally, Dallas was going to have to waive someone to create a roster spot for him since they had 16 players on standard contracts (including Powell) during training camp. Many fans assumed the player in the most danger of getting cut for Dwight was Moussa Cisse, given that he plays center and is on a team-friendly contract, but the Mavs decided to bet on Cisse's potential rather than keep Powell around for another season.

DP would've brought great value at the end of the bench under May this season with his leadership, but his on-court decline was further proven by teams not signing him in free agency. Many teams across the league entered the 2026-27 season with an open roster spot, but with Powell heading overseas, it seems like he didn't receive much, or any, interest.

Dallas picked the perfect time to split with Powell, and him joining Fenerbahce rather than another NBA team is a good indication that he may never play in the NBA again. He could generate some interest next summer if he plays well in Europe, but the fact of the matter is that he doesn't have the same on-court value that he once did.

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