It's time for Mavericks to cut beloved veteran for sneaky signing ASAP

The Dallas Mavericks have gone 3-1 on their four-game road trip, and given the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns skidding marginally in the standings over the past few games, Dallas has thrust itself into the ninth seed in the Western Conference with just seven games remaining in their regular season.

Dallas pulled off a gutsy 120-119 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night, as the Mavericks withstood the tide of a late-game run by the Bulls after being up 12 with just under three minutes left in the game. The Mavericks had seven players in double figures in this game, as their balanced offensive attack, coupled with a gaudy defensive front-court once Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II return from injury, could make for a very dynamic team whenever Irving can return to the lineup.

As far as this season is concerned, though, part of the reason Dallas has been able to keep themselves in the thick of the play-in race has been because of the play of two-way contract signee Kai Jones. The 6-foot-11 big man has been extremely springy and energetic for Dallas ever since playing in his first game with the squad on March 3, and Jones' effort combined with his ability to be a huge threat as an athlete in the dunker spot have led him to have an uber-efficient month with the Mavericks thus far.

Mavericks should cut Powell so they can add Jones to playoff roster

Throughout the month of March, Jones has averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on 84.2 percent shooting from the field and 76.9 percent from the charity stripe. This has far and away been the 24-year-old's best stretch as a pro, and even though Brandon Williams is likely the two-way contract player that Dallas will opt to sign to a standard deal once April 10 rolls around, they have to find a way to try and keep Jones for a potential playoff run or next season at the very least.

With Gafford, Davis, and Lively II all healthy, Jones' role will be a lot more limited compared to what it is now. However, Jones has proven to be a great backup big and Dallas isn't scared to play multiple bigs at once given their new identity, so perhaps Dallas should look at cutting beloved veteran Dwight Powell en route to signing Jones for the rest of the season or to a multi-year deal.

Powell's effectiveness has diminished nearly every season since he tore his Achilles a few years back, and he's played his most limited role in a Mavericks uniform this season since joining the team in 2014, as Powell is averaging just 2.2 points per game in 10.3 minutes per game through 50 games this season.

Powell is undoubtedly a Maverick for life and has been a tremendous role model for the organization throughout his career, but offense has always been his calling card as a player and he's struggled to be the same lob threat and roll-man that he once was, and he hasn't added anything to his game (such as a 3-point shot) to continue to have a relevant impact on winning basketball as he's gotten older.

Powell was honestly more dynamic offensively and shot better from outside in his younger days in Dallas, and with him turning 34 years old this summer, it seems like it may finally be time for Dallas to part ways with Powell to give Jones an opportunity he rightfully deserves. Jones has potential to be better than Powell ever was given his athletic toolbox, age, and developing offensive skillset.

Powell is on the last season of a three-year $12 million deal, and Dallas could theoretically waive him before the end of the season and sign Jones to a standard deal in place of Powell if Dallas wants to head into the play-in/playoffs with their most optimal rotation. It's unfortunate two of Dallas' clear new rotational pieces in Williams and Jones aren't eligible to play in any postseason action for the Mavericks right now, but Dallas needs all the help they can get and they should prioritize finding a way to sign both of them to multi-year standard contracts when they are able to, even if it means cutting a veteran like Powell to do so.