Dallas Mavericks start, bench, cut: Dereck Lively II, Richaun Holmes, Dwight Powell

The Dallas Mavericks center room is something that has been a problem since Tyson Chandler left for the second time.

The Mavs' weakness always seems to be starting center, and they didn't necessarily address that need fully this summer.

They had a great draft night, as they drafted Dereck Lively II with the No. 12 overall pick and traded for Richaun Holmes, but will either move be enough?

Dallas Mavericks start, bench, cut: Dereck Lively II, Richaun Holmes, Dwight Powell

Lively II will have a lot to prove in training camp if he wants the starting role, and Holmes is a few years removed from playing great basketball (even though he was stuck on the Sacramento Kings' bench).

It seems that Dallas still wants to trade for a starting center if a move presents itself, but Dallas is also fine with running the "center platoon" strategy they've used for the past few years with Lively II, Holmes, and Dwight Powell.

Picking a starting center for opening night may be tough for Jason Kidd, as all three centers could make a case for starting.

Start: Dwight Powell

Starting Powell this season is something that every Mavs fan has feared, and it looks like it's going to happen again.

Kidd will likely give the other bigs a chance to fight for the starting spot, but Powell's chemistry with Luka Doncic and the team, along with his energy, will likely earn him the starting spot.

Powell has been with the Mavs since 2014 as he was a part of the Rajon Rondo trade, and he will remain in Dallas for the next three years at least as he re-signed this summer.

In 582 games for the Mavs, Powell averages 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. He is great in the pick-and-roll with Doncic, but his inability to be a rim protector and average rebounding makes him a concerning start for Dallas.

Powell starting shouldn't be penciled in just yet by any means, but this seems like the most likely outcome at this point.

Bench: Dereck Lively II

Dereck Lively II has the highest ceiling of any player on this list, but the safe answer for his role right now would be for him to come off the bench.

Lively II is only 19 years old and played just one year of college ball at Duke. He has all the tools to be the center of the future for the Dallas Mavericks, as he is an excellent rim protector, rebounder, athlete, and lob catcher, but it doesn't seem like the Mavs will start him just yet.

The Mavs seem to bring their rookies into the scene slowly, as we saw last year with Jaden Hardy, and Lively II's player development path could look similar to Hardy's.

Dallas may play him sparingly at the beginning of the season, let him develop in the G League, and then become a solidified rotation piece by the end of the year. Being "the guy" on the Texas Legends last season worked wonders for Hardy, and it could do the same for Lively II.

Fans should be excited about Lively II because the strengths that he brings happen to be the Mavericks' weaknesses. The Mavs have needed an elite rebounder and shot blocker for some time now, and Lively II should anchor the Mavs' defense for years to come.

Lively II could end up grabbing the starting spot, and he seems motivated to do so, but it seems most likely that Dwight Powell is the starter right now.

Cut: Richaun Holmes

The Dallas Mavericks landed a traded player exception on draft night in the trade they made with the Oklahoma City Thunder and ended up using it later that night in a trade with the Sacramento Kings.

They traded Sacramento the traded player exception for the No. 24 overall pick (Olivier-Maxence Prosper) and Richaun Holmes. This trade was centered around Dallas getting Prosper, but grabbing Holmes in this trade was a nice addition as well.

Holmes had some good years in Sacramento, but during the backstretch of his time for the Kings, he had little to no role (he was behind Domantas Sabonis). It's unclear if Holmes will be able to return to his 2020-21 season form in which he averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, but it seems like a bench role is most likely for him at this point.

Him beating out Dwight Powell could happen, but Holmes starting seems like a long shot unless he has a crazy training camp. Having Dereck Lively II as the last big man off the bench could also be counterproductive, so Holmes finds himself at the bottom of this list.

Holmes could be a player who fights for a starting spot and completely surpasses everyone's expectations, but considering that he was in trade rumors on draft night, it doesn't seem that Dallas has a massive role carved out for him.