Mavericks' Dwight Powell decision opens door to Luka Doncic reunion on the Lakers

With about three weeks to go until training camp, the Dallas Mavericks' 15-man roster seems set. They bought out Klay Thompson to get down to 15 players on standard contracts last month, and unless they make a consolation trade in the next few weeks, the Mavericks will head into training camp with the roster the way it is now.

Dallas only re-signed one of their own five free agents this summer: Moussa Cisse. The rest of them, Dwight Powell, Brandon Williams, Khris Middleton, and Marvin Bagley III, mostly signed elsewhere, with Powell as the only exception. Powell remains a free agent with the regular season just over a month and a half away, and the Mavericks' decision to not re-sign him gives the Los Angeles Lakers the chance to reunite him with Luka Doncic if they please.

Mavs not re-signing Powell hands Lakers intriguing free-agency option

The Mavs could obviously still re-sign him if they wanted to, but it would require another move. This is why Powell's return feels so unlikely. If his NBA career is going to continue, it will likely be somewhere else. Los Angeles quietly makes sense as a destination for the 6-foot-10 big man, and his history with Doncic is a major reason for this.

The Lakers still need depth inside behind Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney, and Powell would be a strong option. He has proven to be a good lob-catcher, leader, and screen-setter throughout his 12-year career, and his fit alongside Doncic was strong during their time together in Dallas.

Doncic and Powell have elite chemistry

Doncic excels at throwing alley-oops, and Powell feasted upon these opportunities during his time playing with Doncic. In Doncic's rookie year, Powell had 99 dunks. This was the second-highest total of dunks in a season, only trailing the 2021-22 season when he was the team's starting center during their run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals.

Doncic helped bring the most out of Powell, and he's a big reason Powell had so much success from 2018 until about 2023. This connection didn't form overnight, though.

Powell has played 389 games with Doncic, the most of any player Doncic has ever played with. If the Lakers want a player who won't be expensive, complements Doncic, and always plays hard, Powell would be an excellent option.

This move would be painful for Mavericks fans

Seeing another former Maverick join Doncic in Los Angeles would be a tough pill for MFFLs to swallow, though, as Jaden Hardy and Quentin Grimes, two players who played with Doncic in Dallas, both joined the Lakers this summer. They're looking to bring in players who fit well with Doncic, and thanks to the Mavericks moving on from Powell, they have the opportunity to bring in the player who has played with him more than anyone else.

The ball is in the Lakers' court, as Powell patiently awaits his next opportunity. He wanted to remain in Dallas, but since the Mavs moved on, his next best option may be in Tinseltown.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow