Mavericks' tough call to waive Dwight Powell was the move their future needed

Ahead of their first game on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks made the hard decision to waive Dwight Powell after 12 seasons with the team. Powell went from a throw-in in the Rajon Rondo trade with the Boston Celtics in 2014 to a staple within the organization for over a decade, and his time with the team should never be forgotten.

His leadership, hustle, and team-first mindset made him a key piece of the rotation for years, and he played 763 games for the Mavs — the fifth-most in franchise history. However, Dallas made the right decision to move on. Waiving Powell while keeping Moussa Cisse on the roster was the exact decision their future needed.

Dwight Powell vs Moussa Cisse was an obvious roster battle

As soon as reports surfaced that DP would be joining the Mavericks for training camp ahead of his 13th season, fans immediately assumed that he and Cisse would be battling for the team's final roster spot. Dallas already had 15 players on standard contracts before signing Powell, meaning that someone would have to get cut if he wanted to remain on the roster beyond the preseason.

Cisse appeared to be the most vulnerable player, as he plays the same position as Powell, and the early preseason games put his future into even more doubt. Moussa only played 21 minutes over the two games in Macao, China, against Houston while Powell played 28. This seemed like an early sign that Dusty May trusted Dwight more than he did Cisse, and last Friday's dress rehearsal game against the Atlanta Hawks made this roster battle even more intriguing.

Powell played eight minutes while Cisse only played four. Cisse didn't check in until the end of the game, and Powell played in the second and third quarters.

Preseason minutes should typically be taken with a grain of salt, but Powell playing more than Cisse in the final game was puzzling. It seems like May would want to see his second-year big man as much as possible in preseason action to see if he was ready for a real role during the regular season, but he elected to play Powell more minutes instead.

No one knew what the Mavs were going to do, but Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz ended up making the right decision. By waiving Powell and keeping Cisse on the roster, Dallas made the best choice for their future.

Cisse gives the Mavericks the upside that Powell couldn't

Holding onto Powell, a 35-year-old veteran whose role has been extremely limited over the last three years, instead of a 24-year-old second-year player with high upside, would've been an extremely risky gamble, and it wouldn't have made much sense. Cisse was part of Cooper Flagg's rookie class, and keeping him with Dallas' new franchise cornerstone allows them to grow together.

Leadership is important for young teams, especially from experienced veterans, and this is one of the reasons that Powell had a case to stick around. He was the longest-tenured Maverick by a significant margin, and he was part of the 2022 and 2024 teams — the two most successful squads since Dallas won the title in 2011.

DP played with Dirk Nowitzki, Luka Doncic, and Flagg, and his experience stretched across three different eras. He could've been a valuable voice in the locker room for Flagg and the rest of the young players, but with Kyrie Irving still on the roster, keeping a player who still has significant room to grow made more sense.

Cisse was extremely impactful as a rookie, averaging an impressive 11.5 points, 14.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 3.1 blocks per 36 minutes. His energy, rim protection, athleticism, and lob catching were all on display during his first season, and developmental minutes and time in the gym will make him even better.

For reference of how Powell fared compared to the young center, he averaged 8.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per 36 minutes. He still could hold his own in his minutes, but Cisse's potential was too exciting for the Mavs to pass up on.

Dallas' move to keep Cisse while moving on from Powell was a clear decision that they're focused on the future, and that's what they need as they build around Flagg. He needs players who are on his timeline rather than ones who are over 15 years older than him, and Cisse makes their young core even more intriguing.

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