Mavericks waive Dwight Powell after 12 seasons in Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks waived Dwight Powell on Monday, October 19, bringing their standard roster to 15 players and likely ending the veteran center's 12-year run with the franchise. The move follows Saturday's departures of John Poulakidas and Seth Lundy as Dallas prepares to open the season Wednesday in Houston.

The Mavericks said their roster now stands at 17 players, including two on two-way contracts. Powell had returned on a late training-camp deal, but Dallas already had 15 fully guaranteed standard contracts, according to The Associated Press. Keeping him would have required releasing someone from that group.

Saturday's moves addressed a different part of the roster. Poulakidas occupied a two-way spot, while Lundy had joined on an Exhibit 10 contract. The team's October 17 announcement covered those two guards:

Powell's long Dallas tenure

Powell played 763 games for the Mavericks, fifth in franchise history, according to the team's release. He ranks sixth in both offensive rebounds, with 1,187, and total rebounds, with 3,251. His 60.6 percent shooting ranks fourth among Dallas' career leaders. He also recorded 330 blocks for the Mavericks, placing him 10th on the franchise list.

He arrived in December 2014 in the trade that brought Rajon Rondo from Boston. Rondo's Dallas stay lasted less than a season; Powell remained for the next 11 full seasons, AP reported. All but five of his 768 NBA games have come with the Mavericks.

President of basketball operations Masai Ujiri praised Powell's professionalism, work and role in the Dallas community in Monday's announcement. Powell averaged 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds across his 12 Dallas seasons. Last season he played 63 games, including 12 starts, averaging 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 14.3 minutes.

Saturday's shooting cuts and Flagg option

Poulakidas averaged seven points in three preseason appearances and made 45.5 percent of his three-pointers, the Mavericks said Saturday. That stretch included 16 points and four made threes against New Orleans on Wednesday. Lundy averaged 5.5 points in four preseason games and shot 36.3 percent from three.

Dallas also exercised Cooper Flagg's third-year rookie-scale option Saturday, covering the 2027-28 season. Flagg won Rookie of the Year after averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 70 starts last season.

The Mavericks open October 21 at Houston, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central.