Mavericks Waive Dwight Powell After 12 Years and Sign Clayton Jr.

The Dallas Mavericks have parted ways with one of their longest-serving players. The club has waived veteran big man Dwight Powell, ending a 12-year run with the franchise, with financial considerations winning out over the desire to keep him for culture reasons. Powell had been a fixture in Dallas for more than a decade, and his departure marks the end of an era for a player who became one of the most familiar faces on the roster. In a corresponding move, Dallas signed guard Walter Clayton Jr. to a two-way contract. Clayton, waived by Memphis before the season, averaged 7.8 points and 4 assists per game in his rookie campaign last season, splitting the year between the Utah Jazz and the Grizzlies. The signing gives the Mavericks a young backcourt option with two-way flexibility while the club reshapes the fringes of its roster early in the season. For Powell, the exit closes a long chapter in Dallas, and he now becomes a free agent able to join another team. The moves come as the Mavericks continue to balance their books and their rotation in the opening weeks of the 2026-27 campaign.