Mavericks Finally Waive Dwight Powell After Handing Him $1 Million to Go Home

The Dallas Mavericks have finally done the impossible and waived Dwight Powell, ending an era that somehow survived multiple front offices, ownership changes, and a complete roster overhaul.

Shams Charania reported the news on Monday, confirming that the 35-year-old veteran center is officially out in Dallas.

"Shams Charania reported the Mavericks are waiving veteran center Dwight Powell."

The funniest part of this transaction is the timeline. Dallas literally just re-signed Powell before training camp to a one-year, $3.8 million deal with $1 million partially guaranteed. Handing a guy a million bucks just to tell him to go home a few weeks later is the kind of severance package most of us can only dream of.

Powell is a 12-year veteran who averaged 6.5 points over his career and survived everything from a torn Achilles to constant trade rumors. But the Mavericks were sitting at the 15-man roster limit, and the math finally caught up to the longest-tenured guy in the locker room.

You can probably blame the recent on-court product for forcing their hand. Dallas is coming off a brutal 135-111 blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks and a tight 101-97 drop to the New Orleans Pelicans. When your defense is bleeding points like that, keeping a 35-year-old center for vibes alone becomes a luxury you cannot afford.

For anyone holding Mavericks futures tickets, this move is strictly about flexibility. Clearing Powell off the books opens up a roster spot for the front office to find some actual rim protection before the games start counting.

Dallas heads to Houston next to face the Rockets and figure out their new rotation. As for Powell, he walks away with a guaranteed bag and the freedom to latch onto a contender looking for a veteran who knows how to set a screen and wave a towel.