Mavericks should keep Dwight Powell around — regardless of whether he makes the team

Dwight Powell's standing with the Dallas Mavericks has been one of the top stories of training camp entering his 13th season. Dallas signed Powell to a one-year deal right before training camp began, despite already having 15 players on standard contracts, meaning the only way he would make the team was if the Mavericks made a consolidation trade or cut someone to make room on the roster.

Such a move seems risky, given that DP has played just 12.7 minutes per game over the last three seasons and doesn't provide the same on-court punch that he once did. Regardless of whether Powell makes the team, the Mavericks should find a way to keep him with the organization.

Mavericks should make Dwight Powell an assistant coach

If Dallas doesn't create a roster spot for him, a reasonable next step for Powell would be joining the organization as an assistant coach. This would allow Powell to retire a Maverick (assuming he doesn't get picked up by a different NBA team) and immediately step into the coaching world as a 35-year-old with 12 years of NBA playing experience.

Dwight has a deep understanding of the game, and his press conferences are typically pretty insightful. His knowledge of the game as a whole would naturally help him be a solid coach, and he has already taken on many of these responsibilities over the last few years from the sidelines.

Why Powell makes more sense as a coach than a player

Despite being on the team, his role has been limited. He isn't playing nearly as much as he did during his prime in Dallas, and most of his impact has come as a leader.

Young players always rave about how Powell is an excellent leader and the definition of a true professional, and the coaching staff often gives him the same praise as well. Dusty May was asked about Powell after the team's first training camp practice last weekend, and his response shows how much they value him.

"He makes everyone around him better," May said. "He’s exactly what we need as far as him being able to connect, screen, do the dirty work."

Powell has mastered small details that would help Dallas' young players

Powell has done the little things well for a long time, and becoming an assistant coach would give the Mavericks a young coach who the players are familiar with and can relate to. He would be a great coach for the young big men to learn from as they try to improve on every aspect of their games, and Powell would be a good teacher when it comes to screen-setting, rolling, and making the right read out of the short roll.

Giving Powell a roster spot isn't logical given where he's at in his career arc, but offering him a spot on the coaching staff would be a smooth next step for him. He would get to remain with the franchise that he has been affiliated with since 2014, while the Mavericks would gain a highly respected coach who already has a relationship with many of the current players.

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