Dallas Mavericks Waive John Poulakidas, Seth Lundy Ahead Of Regular-Season Roster Deadline

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks waived guards John Poulakidas and Seth Lundy on Saturday, the team announced. Poulakidas had been on a two-way contract with Dallas since February, and Lundy signed a training camp deal with the team Sept. 26.

The moves came a day after the Mavericks closed the preseason at 1-3 with a loss to the Atlanta Hawks at American Airlines Center. NBA teams have until Monday to set their regular-season rosters, with room for 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

John Poulakidas Waived From Two-Way Contract With Dallas Mavericks

Through three preseason games, Poulakidas averaged 7.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 14.0 minutes. He shot 50.0% from the field, 45.5% from 3-point range, and 80.0% at the free-throw line.

Of his 21 preseason points, 16 came Wednesday, when he made 4 of his 8 attempts from 3-point range off the bench in a 101-97 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. He did not play in Dallas’ 132-115 win over the Houston Rockets in Macao on Oct. 11.

Mavericks coach Dusty May said after Wednesday’s game that Poulakidas’ teammates found him for the 3-pointers and that he knocked them down.

“I was most pleased with him sticking his nose in and playing with some physicality and some grit,” May said.

“Three or four times in the second half, it felt like he was in the mix, and we got extra possessions because of that effort and fight,” May continued.

Dallas signed Poulakidas to his two-way contract on Feb. 28. He appeared in 13 games for the Mavericks last season and averaged 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists while shooting 42.9% from the field and 40.3% from 3-point range.

In April, he scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting against the Phoenix Suns. Two games later, he set a career high with 28 points and made 8 3-pointers. With the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G League affiliate, Poulakidas averaged 13.9 points in 7 games.

Poulakidas spent July with the Mavericks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 12.4 points in 24.0 minutes over 5 games.

Dallas now has two players on two-way contracts, Jett Howard and Tobi Lawal, and one open two-way spot.

Seth Lundy Waived As Dwight Powell Roster Decision Remains Open

Lundy appeared in all 4 preseason games and averaged 5.5 points, 0.5 steals, and 12.0 minutes. He shot 46.6% from the field and 36.3% from 3-point range.

The Mavericks signed Lundy on Sept. 26, bringing their training camp roster to 20 players. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported the agreement a day earlier.

Lundy had not played in an NBA regular-season game since 2023-24, when he appeared in 9 games for Atlanta on a two-way contract and averaged 1.6 points. The Hawks announced in May 2024 that he had surgery to remove a bone spur from his left ankle. During the 2024-25 season, he spent time on two-way contracts with Atlanta and the LA Clippers without playing in a game.

In July, Lundy averaged 20.0 points over 4 Summer League games with the Toronto Raptors.

Dallas carries 16 players on standard contracts entering Monday’s deadline. Center Dwight Powell, who re-signed with the Mavericks on Sept. 25, is the only one of the 16 without a fully guaranteed salary. His partial guarantee rises from $1M to $1.5M if he is on the opening-night roster.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported this week that Dallas is exploring ways to keep Powell, which could mean parting with second-year center Moussa Cissé.

The Mavericks open the regular season Oct. 21 at Houston, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. CT.