‘The Consummate Professional’: Masai Ujiri Thanks Dwight Powell As Dallas Mavericks Waive 12-Year Center

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks waived center Dwight Powell on Monday, the team announced, ending a 12-season run with the franchise two days before the regular-season opener. Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri issued a statement on Powell through the team.

Powell, 35, was the only one of Dallas’ 16 players on standard contracts without a fully guaranteed salary. The move leaves the Mavericks with 17 players, 15 on standard contracts and two on two-way deals.

Powell’s impact reached beyond the court and into the Dallas community, Ujiri said in the statement.

“Dwight was the consummate professional throughout his 12 seasons with the Mavericks and embodies everything you want in someone representing your organization,” Ujiri said. “He’s a tireless worker, an incredible teammate and someone whose impact extends well beyond the basketball court and into the Dallas community.”

“We are grateful for everything Dwight has contributed to this franchise,” Ujiri continued. “He will always be part of the Mavericks family, and Dallas will always be a home for him. We wish him nothing but the best in this next chapter.”

Dwight Powell’s Place In Dallas Mavericks History

Dallas acquired Powell in a December 2014 trade with the Boston Celtics, about a month after he made his NBA debut with Boston. His 763 games with the Mavericks rank fifth in franchise history.

Powell is sixth on the franchise list with 1,187 offensive rebounds and sixth with 3,251 total rebounds. His 330 blocks rank 10th. He ranks fourth in team history in career field-goal percentage.

His 12 seasons with Dallas are tied with Derek Harper and Brad Davis for second-most in team history. Dirk Nowitzki holds the record with 21.

In his time with the Mavericks, Powell averaged 6.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assist. He played all 82 games in 2021-22 and started 71 of them, then started all 18 of Dallas’ playoff games that spring during its run to the Western Conference finals. In 2024, he appeared in 13 playoff games as the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals.

Last season, Powell appeared in 63 games and made 12 starts. He averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 14.3 minutes.

Powell’s 2026 Training Camp With The Dallas Mavericks

Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported in late July that Powell had been hoping to play at least one more season. Dallas re-signed him on Sept. 25, the morning of media day, to a one-year, minimum-salary contract that was partially guaranteed for $1M. That guarantee would have risen to $1.5M if he had been on the opening-night roster.

Stein reported the same day that Dallas had not ruled out creating a roster spot for Powell. Powell later waived his right to block trades if the Mavericks kept him, Stein reported.

Powell appeared in three of Dallas’ four preseason games and averaged 1.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 12.1 minutes. In Macao on Oct. 11, he played 15 minutes and finished with 3 points and 5 rebounds in a 132-115 win over the Houston Rockets.

Mavericks coach Dusty May said earlier in camp that Powell makes everyone around him better by connecting, screening, and doing the dirty work.

“Dwight has been very valuable so far to us,” May said Thursday. “I think it’s evident that when he is on the floor, we function well. It’s been a joy to get to know him and be around him. I try to stay out of that fray, deciding those types of things, but Dwight, he’s been very, very good for us.”

Keeping Powell would have required Dallas to trade or waive a player with a guaranteed salary. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported last week that the Mavericks were exploring ways to keep him, which could have meant parting with second-year center Moussa Cissé. Dallas matched a New York Knicks offer sheet for Cissé in restricted free agency in July, and his $2.2M salary became fully guaranteed when the Mavericks kept him past Oct. 1.

If no team claims Powell, he will clear waivers Wednesday. The Mavericks open the regular season that night at Houston, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. CT.