Dallas Mavericks center Dwight Powell is exercising his $4 million player option for the 2025-26 season, league sources told NBA insider Marc Stein on Friday.
Mavericks’ Dwight Powell To Mentor Cooper Flagg
Powell had until next Tuesday to activate the third year of the $12 million contract he signed with the Mavs ahead of the 2023-24 season. His base salary carries a dead cap value of $4 million, per Spotrac.
League sources suggest that Powell will likely be tasked next season with serving as a mentor for projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. The Mavs are expected to select Flagg, who reportedly dined with both team officials and players this week ahead of the 2025 NBA draft.
Since Powell has played under Mavs head coach Jason Kidd since 2021, the former second-rounder could help Flagg adjust to Kidd’s system ahead of the Duke star’s first season in the NBA.
Powell Set To Play Behind Davis, Lively II, And Gafford
Powell, who turns 34 on July 20, is set to return for a 12th season with Dallas. The Stanford product was initially drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and eventually traded to the Boston Celtics.
However, Powell was then dealt to the Mavericks during his 2014-15 rookie season. He has since made 700 career regular-season appearances (254 starts) and played in 44 playoff games for the team.
In 55 games (three starts) this Dallas this season, Powell averaged a career-low 2.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 10 minutes per contest while shooting 68.9% from the field and 65.1% from the foul line.
Barring any injuries, the 6-foot-10 Powell is currently set to play behind Anthony Davis, Derek Lively II, and Daniel Gafford on the Mavericks’ frontcourt depth chart.
According to Basketball Reference, Powell currently ranks fifth in franchise history behind Dirk Nowitzki, Brad Davis, Derek Harper, and Rolando Blackman for all-time regular-season games played.
Mavericks Used 47 Different Starting Lineups Due To Injuries
Staying healthy is one of the Mavs’ goals for 2025-26. Their 2024-25 season was met by an unprecedented list of injuries, as Dallas ranked in the top five in missed games.
Dallas used 47 different starting lineups this season, tied for the fourth most by any team since starters were first tracked in 1970-71. The Mavs missed a combined 363 games this season, nearly double from a year ago.
Davis suffered a left adductor strain in the third quarter of his Mavericks debut and played only 48 possessions with Kyrie Irving, who tore his left ACL a month later.
Dallas was also without PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford because of injuries.