The Dallas Mavericks re-signed veteran big man Dwight Powell ahead of the 2026 preseason, despite it taking them to 16 players on standard contracts.

Reports indicated that he had been re-signed with the promise that they would make an effort to clear a roster spot for him so that he could be on the team.

The Mavericks' efforts to do so came back empty, so they decided to waive Powell, according to ESPN's NBA insider, Shams Charania.

New Mavericks head coach Dusty May has been extremely complimentary of Powell throughout the preseason, and they really valued his voice in the locker room.

The decision ultimately boiled down to Dwight Powell or Moussa Cisse, the second-year center whom the Mavericks picked up in undrafted free agency last year. He showed enough as a rookie that the New York Knicks signed him to an offer sheet this offseason, which the Mavericks quickly matched.

Still, Cisse is a raw athlete. While he brings great energy and hustle, his hands and offensive skills need a lot of development, and there's a good chance that he never becomes a high-level backup because of it.

Multiple teams were watching the Mavericks to see what they would do with Cisse, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and Chicago Bulls. Maybe they could work out a trade, as waiving him when there was this much intrigue around him would've felt short-sighted.

Mavericks Made the Correct Decision

While Dwight Powell is the better player right now, especially on the offensive end, the Mavericks are supposed to be building for the future, finding players that fit Cooper Flagg's timeline.

Powell is nearing retirement, and while his presence was still valuable in the locker room, there are other ways to get that type of presence.

The Mavericks could always bring Powell back later in the season if they find a taker for Cisse, or maybe even in a 2-for-1 trade, but getting the chance to develop Cisse has to take precedence for now.

The depth that the Mavericks have in the frontcourt likely steered this decision. If the Mavericks needed one of the two players to give them a consistent 10 minutes per game, Powell likely would have been the choice.

However, they have Daniel Gafford, Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Dereck Lively II (if he's ever healthy) to play minutes at center. That can allow Cisse to develop behind the scenes, snag some minutes with the injuries, and see what he becomes at the end of the year.

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