Mavericks seem to be eyeing a costly Dwight Powell reunion for the new era

The Dallas Mavericks are halfway through their four-game preseason slate after playing the Houston Rockets twice in Macao, China, over the weekend, and by the looks of things, Dwight Powell's time with the team could last much longer than initially expected.

When reports broke that Powell would be on Dallas' training camp roster, the reaction from Mavs fans was mixed. While many MFFLs were excited that he would be part of the team for preseason, there was skepticism that he would actually make the team due to the roster already having 15 players on standard contracts.

Dwight Powell's time in Dallas could last longer than expected

There weren't any rumors of Powell returning to Dallas over the offseason until news broke that the team would sign him for training camp, and since that moment, his return extending into the regular season has seemed more and more probable.

Powell played 28 minutes over two games in Macao and scored four points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out 10 assists, and had one steal and one block. DP was productive in his minutes, helping his team post a +14 while he was on the court, but the biggest takeaway from these first two preseason games is the minutes discrepancy between him and Moussa Cisse.

Powell played more minutes than Moussa Cisse in Macao

Cisse played just 21 minutes over two games and didn't make a field goal in his minutes. He still rebounded well, posting seven rebounds to go along with two steals and one block, but the fact that he is playing fewer minutes than Powell is concerning for his long-term future.

Preseason minutes don't mean everything, but why would Dusty May want to see more of Powell than his second-year center who put up 17 points and 20 rebounds in his most recent regular-season game?

Why waiving Cisse seems probable if the Mavericks want to keep Powell

With Powell being a late addition to the training camp roster, the most logical route to keeping him on the roster (that's not a consolidation trade) always seemed like waiving Cisse. Even though Cisse's contract became guaranteed earlier this month, and the Mavericks matched the New York Knicks' offer sheet for him in free agency, he's one of the easier players to part with.

Cisse is only under contract through the end of the 2027-28 season, and he's only set to make $4.76 million over these two years. Combine this with the fact that he's the same position as Powell, and there has been plenty of speculation that he'd be the player to go in order to make room for the 35-year-old center.

Parting ways with Cisse is not a good idea

Despite the leadership and experience that Powell brings, cutting Cisse to keep him around wouldn't make sense. Powell is 11 years older than the second-year big man, and Powell's production is declining while Moose's career is just getting started.

Cisse showed promise as a rookie, as he was extremely impactful in his limited minutes due to his rebounding, shot-blocking, hustle, and energy. He averaged 11.5 points, 14.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game per 36 minutes last season, showing that he made a massive difference whenever he was on the floor.

The Mavericks having him on a cost-controlled contract entering this new era is a huge benefit, as they can continue to develop him without having to worry about a different team poaching him away. Cisse looked like he would be a key piece in the young core moving forward, but his limited preseason role compared to Powell throws some doubt on this theory.

Dallas' two preseason games this week should provide a better idea of whether Powell is going to be on the roster heading into the regular season, but by the looks of things, it seems like the Mavs are at least considering making a move to make sure that there is room for him on the 15-man roster.

This doesn't make much sense as the team is entering a new era focused on putting a contender around 19-year-old Cooper Flagg, and creating a roster spot by DP by waiving Cisse would send a player on Flagg's timeline packing while keeping a player who is 16 years older.

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