DALLAS — Dusty May started Monday's availability by thanking Dwight Powell, on the day the Dallas Maverickslet the longtime center go.
Powell spent May's first training camp in Dallas on a one-year, minimum-salary contract that carried a $1 million partial guarantee. He played in three of the four preseason games. In 12.1 minutes per game, he averaged 1.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
Dallas had also waived guards Seth Lundy and John Poulakidas over the weekend, and May included both of them.
“I think Dwight Powell, in my short stint here this summer, this fall, up until this season, his professionalism, his attitude, he exemplified everything that you want a Maverick to be about,” May said. “And so I just want to say thanks to him. He certainly had an impact on all of us as a player here in the organization, and the same thing [with] Seth Lundy and JP. Those guys had an impact on our team. We're better because they were here, and you never know what the future holds.”
May Leaves Door Open for Powell to Keep Playing
May did not get into why the Mavericks moved on from Powell. He said a lot of factors go into those decisions and that management told him about the move. May also said nobody has talked yet about Powell joining the coaching staff.
May is new to the NBA transaction calendar, he said.
“I wouldn't be surprised,” May explained. “Look, I'm relatively new to the NBA game, so I don't know the ins and outs and the calendar with moves and things like that. So would I be surprised to see Dwight playing somewhere? I wouldn't. He still has some miles in the tank.”
Powell is 35. He played 63 games last season with 12 starts.
Over 12 seasons in Dallas, he started 266 of his 763 regular-season games. He ranks fifth in team history in games played. His 60.6% career shooting from the field is fourth in team history, and he is sixth all-time with the Mavericks in both offensive and total rebounds.
His career-best scoring average was 10.6 points in 2018-19, and his best rebounding season was 5.7 per game in 2019-20.
Powell Leaves Long Mavericks Legacy
The Mavericks acquired Powell from Boston on Dec. 18, 2014, as part of the Rajon Rondo trade. Charlotte had drafted him 45th overall that June.
Powell was part of the 2021-22 team that reached the Western Conference finals in Jason Kidd's first season. He was also on the 2024 team that reached the NBA Finals.
In a team statement Monday, Masai Ujiri, the Mavericks' president of basketball operations, called Powell “the consummate professional.” Ujiri also pointed to Powell's work in the Dallas community.
May took the job in June after winning the 2026 national championship at Michigan. His two Wolverines teams went a combined 64-13, and his six Florida Atlantic teams went 126-69.
The Mavericks kept second-year center Moussa Cissé over Powell. Cissé went undrafted in 2025 before signing with Dallas, and his two-way deal was converted to a standard contract during his rookie season. Their roster sits at 17 players, two of them on two-way contracts.
Powell can be claimed on waivers until Wednesday. That night, Dallas opens at the Houston Rockets at 7:30 p.m. CT. The home opener is Saturday against San Antonio.