5 Dallas Mavericks who are pointless to have on the 2024-25 roster

1. Dwight Powell

As crazy as it sounds, Dwight Powell is entering his 11th season with the Dallas Mavericks at 33 years old. Back when Powell was a throw-in in the Rajon Rondo trade in late 2014, almost no one saw him panning out to become one of the longest-tenured Mavericks of all time. However, Powell has showcased true professionalism and a resilient work ethic throughout his time in Dallas, as he's molded himself into one of the stronger leaders in the Mavericks locker room.

Powell's veteran leadership can't be taken for granted on this Mavericks team whatsoever, as he's one of the few individuals on this roster on the wrong side of 30-years-old and he has an immense amount of on and off-court experience. Taking all of that into consideration though, Powell's inclusion on this Mavericks roster is as low of a need as it has ever been, as Powell's explosive athleticism has dwindled steadily ever since he tore his achilles at the beginning of the 2020.

Powell can still come in and provide steady minutes for the Mavericks at the center position if they ever need it, as he has an extensive understanding of Dallas' system and how Luka Doncic operates in the pick-and-roll, though he isn't as dynamic of a roll man as he once was and his lack of rim protection seems to only be getting worse at this stage in his career.

Now that Dallas has 48 minutes of solid big-man play with the trio of Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and Maxi Kleber though, penciling in Powell's role on this team beyond a veteran mentor gets very tricky. The argument can be made that Powell's role on this Mavericks team could easily be relayed over to a younger project-type center that could potentially help the Mavericks out down the line, especially since Powell isn't the only veteran leader on this Mavericks team anymore.

This isn't to say what Powell brings to the Mavericks isn't invaluable from that perspective, but he's trending closer and closer to the point in his career where Dallas will have to weigh how much of an actual impact he's making on the court. Powell is set to make $4 million this upcoming season on a guaranteed deal and he has a player option in the 2025-26 season, so while it doesn't seem like the Mavericks are interested in parting ways with him quite yet, there's certainly an argument to be made that Dallas could afford to have a better emergency option at center this season.