Wednesday night was the final game of the NBA season for the 14 teams that missed the playoffs. Most will spend the next few days licking their wounds and recovering from the long year.
But not the Dallas Mavericks. They are already working to improve next season. On Thursday, owner Mark Cuban told Ben Rogers and Jeff Wade of 105.3 The Fan that the team already plans to extend one key player. Via Jeff Cavanaugh of 105.3:
Cuban just said they plan to extend Dwight Powell and keep him another 3 years on @1053thefan with @BenRogers and @SkinWade. If that’s not new news sorry I was away from radio.
— Jeff Cavanaugh (@timeforjeffrey) April 11, 2019
Powell has a player option for next season worth approximately $10.2 million. However, it is uncertain if he will exercise that option, and even if he does, his long-term future remains uncertain. So instead, Dallas will look to lock up their big man for at least another three seasons.
Powell, 27, just wrapped up his fourth full season with the Mavericks. He was originally drafted 45th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 2014 and was immediately dealt to the Boston Celtics. Since coming to Dallas in 2014, Powell has averaged 7.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists. The fifth-year pro had a career season in 2018-19, though, averaging 10.6 points, 5.3 boards, and 1.5 assists while shooting a stellar 59.7 percent from the field, evidence of his elite finishing ability around the rim.
The 2018-19 season did not go as planned for the Mavericks. They finished with the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 33-49. They will have a lot of work to do this offseason to turn their fortunes around, but locking up a reliable veteran is a strong start. The coming days will tell if Dallas and Powell are indeed able to come to an agreement.
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