Mavs' Dwight Powell Could Land Final Roster Spot Pending Moussa Cisse Decision

The Dallas Mavericks host the Atlanta Hawks Friday night at American Airlines Center for their final "dress rehearsal" before the 2026-27 season gets underway.

Mavs coach Dusty May believes he'll have more availability than Dallas' penultimate preseason contest, a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, where Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving rested following the long trip back from Macao, China.

Against the Pels, May was able to test out his depth before roster cuts are due on Monday at 3 p.m. CT. That deadline comes ahead of the Mavericks' regular-season opener at the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

One player who wasn't used was the longest-tenured player on the roster: Dwight Powell.

The veteran big man is a known commodity at this point in Dallas. Although his contract expired this summer, Powell was brought back on a training camp deal to create competition in the frontcourt and provide the leadership and organizational familiarity only he can offer.

Dereck Lively II is still recovering from foot surgery, giving Daniel Gafford the spot as the Mavs' starting center. Both players are obvious keeps when it comes to roster construction. Rookie first-round pick Morez Johnson Jr. and trade acquisition Santi Aldama also make up the newcomers down low.

The Mavs' roster debate comes down to whether someone will be moved to make room for Powell, who has been with the team since his trade from the Boston Celtics over 12 years ago.

"Those questions I can’t answer," May said about potential shuffling before Powell was kept on the bench against New Orleans. "Those are decisions those guys make based on information they get from the staff and their eyes."

Powell, 35, is on a training camp exclusive contract, not one of the 15 standard deals the Mavericks are limited to and already possess.

"Dwight has been very valuable so far to us. It’s evident when he’s on the floor that we function well," May added. "So yeah, it’s been a joy to get to know him and be around him. I try to stay out of that fray. But Dwight’s been very, very good for us."

Considering preseason performance and cap space impact, one could argue that the players Dallas would most likely move to create room for Powell would be rookie foreigner Tarik Biberovic or second-year center Moussa Cisse, who suffered a minor ankle injury against the Pelicans.

In Cisse's case, his two-year offer sheet was matched this offseason to keep him in Dallas. The Mavericks also missed the deadline to cut him, making his contract fully guaranteed at $2.1 million. Though it's a small portion of the overall cap impact, waiving him now would create for a confusing timeline of previous decisions.

In the event Cisse is released, NBA reporter Jake Fischer of The Stein Line projects the young center to be of interest to the Philadelphia 76ers, which suggests that there are internal rumors about Cisse's time in Dallas coming to a close.

May asserts that, when the final roster spot is determined after the preseason finale, he will have a say alongside team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz.

"Of course I’ll have an opinion on everything we do. As far as how much that sways ... in any great working relationship, we have a big staff and they all give their opinion," the coach said. "But it still comes down to the decision-makers making decisions."

Powell was active in both of Dallas' preseason games in Macao, playing about 20 minutes per game and averaging two points and three rebounds.