Dwight Powell has been one of a very few constants in Dallas over the past nine seasons with the Mavs, serving as Dallas’ longest tenured player.
Last season, Powell averaged 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as one of the Mavs role players that struggled to figure out their exact role in a seemingly ever-changing lineup around Luka Doncic. As his career has progressed, Powell has seen his shot profile narrow considerably, as he once at least tried to shoot jumpers, to now being almost exclusively a play-finisher — almost 80 percent of his shot attempts last year were from inside three-feet of the rim. That limits the impact he can have overall, but also has made him highly efficient, provided you need someone with that exact skillset.
It’s a skillset that works especially well alongside Doncic, so perhaps unsurprisingly, Dallas made it a point to bring him back. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Powell will return to the Mavericks on a 3-year deal worth $12 million.
Free agent center Dwight Powell has agreed on a deal to return to the Dallas Mavericks, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
Powell has agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal, sources said. https://t.co/ERVd97zRK3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
Powell has been the starting center for Dallas over most of the last two years, as he completely understands his role alongside Doncic. Getting a player like that back on an affordable deal makes a ton of sense, and Powell will bring some stability to a Mavs frontcourt that has added Richaun Holmes and first-round draft pick Dereck Lively this summer.
