Mavericks' Dwight Powell reunion has an obvious roadblock they shouldn't remove

Dwight Powell was spotted in California with the Dallas Mavericks for a minicamp led by Kyrie Irving, and a report that he would receive a training camp invite from the team followed. Powell will at least be on the roster for training camp and preseason, but there's an obvious roadblock to him being on the 15-man roster for the regular season: Dallas already has 15 players on standard contracts.

Dallas doesn't have the roster space for Dwight Powell

The NBA limits teams to 15 players on standard contracts for the regular season, meaning that the Mavericks don't have room for Powell on the roster. They would have to cut someone to create a roster spot for Powell if they want him on the team beyond the preseason, and this is not something they should consider during the first year of the Dutsy May era.

Powell's time with the Mavericks has been memorable

If Powell were younger, this would be a different story. He used to be Dallas' starting big man, including during their run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals, and he was a good backup as well. His energy off the bench and lob catching have always been highlights of his game, but his real value has mostly come from the sidelines as a leader.

Powell has been the definition of a true professional on and off the court, and his teammates have nothing but nice things to say about him. He has been a great example for the young players, but this offseason seems like the best time to part ways with him.

Now is the time to part ways with Powell

They already bought out Klay Thompson to get under the limit of 15 players on standard contracts earlier this offseason, and waiving someone else just to sign Powell would be an unnecessary move. Getting rid of one of the greatest shooters of all time to seemingly finalize the roster ahead of training camp, just to waive another player and sign Powell, wouldn't make sense.

As things stand, there isn't a single player on the roster that Dallas should consider waiving to turn Dwight Powell's training-camp return into a regular-season thing. They only have two players on expiring contracts, Dereck Lively II and Marcus Sasser, and both players project to have important roles on the team.

Regardless of how valuable Powell's leadership and presence are, getting him back on the team for the actual season will not be easy. While he wanted to return to the Mavericks in free agency and could be talented enough to be a backup big man somewhere, it doesn't have to be Dallas anymore.

His time with the team has been remarkable, and his impact has been far undervalued, but his time with the team has run its course. Dallas is looking to win in the future, and with just two players over the age of 30 on the roster, cutting a youngster and signing a 35-year-old Powell to a contract would be risky and out of character for a team that has placed a clear emphasis on getting younger.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow