For years, one Dallas Mavericks big man had a front-row seat to Luka Doncic’s rise from an NBA rookie into one of the league’s biggest stars. The two built their own rhythm on the court, shared plenty of memories away from it and eventually became the longest-running teammate pairing of Doncic’s Dallas career.

That bond was still easy to see even after Dallas sent its superstar to Los Angeles. When the two finally faced each other as opponents in Dallas, the former teammate reflected on everything they had been through together.

“We spent a lot of years together and shared a lot of great memories. We had great times on the court, obviously, and great times off the court as well — even competing in the summers, the national team and whatnot, and being able to come back the following preseason and have that bragging rights, whichever way it went.”

That former teammate is Dwight Powell, and the timing of his return to Dallas could not be more interesting. The Mavericks have officially brought Powell back, but they already have the maximum 15 standard NBA contracts. At the same time, Powell is the teammate who shared more games with Doncic than anyone else, and the Lakers had previously identified him as a potential option in free agency. A possible Luka-Powell reunion in Los Angeles was never a confirmed plan, but Dallas has now made that path considerably more complicated.

Powell’s connection with Doncic was not just built on being teammates. The two shared 389 games in Dallas, the most of any player who played alongside Doncic during his eight seasons with the Mavericks. Powell arrived in Dallas in December 2014, nearly four years before the franchise drafted Luka. By the time Doncic left, Powell had spent more than six seasons playing alongside him.

And there was a reason the partnership worked so well.

“He’s a very special player, I think that goes without saying. He did an amazing job of creating opportunities for everybody around him, and I was fortunate enough to be one of those targets. So, we learned very quickly how to play together, but it’s fairly easy to play with a guy like that.”

That chemistry became one of the small but important parts of Luka’s rise in Dallas. Powell developed into a reliable screener, rim-runner and lob threat, while Doncic’s ability to create opportunities made the veteran big a natural fit beside him.

Jason Kidd once described the connection in quarterback-receiver terms.

“They have a great sense, a great relationship, [like] quarterback-receiver. DP plays his role at a very, very high level… There’s a trust between the quarterback and receiver.”

That trust mattered because Powell’s role was never really about being the star. His job was to make the right screen, find the right space and be ready when Doncic created an opening. For years, it worked.

But Dallas and Luka eventually went in different directions.

The Mavericks traded Doncic to the Lakers on February 2, 2025, ending a partnership that had defined much of Powell’s Dallas career. Powell stayed. Luka moved on. Their paths, at least as teammates, were separated.

Yet the possibility of them playing together again did not completely disappear.

When the Lakers were looking for another big during the 2026 offseason, Lakers reporter Khobi Price identified Powell as a potential option and specifically pointed to his history with Doncic. Powell’s 389 games alongside Luka were part of the reason the connection stood out.

Powell already knew how to play with Luka. Luka already knew what Powell could do. And unlike a new teammate trying to learn Doncic’s rhythm, Powell had spent years doing exactly that.

Then Dallas stepped back into the picture.

Powell had entered free agency after his previous contract expired, but he had made it clear through his representatives that he wanted to continue playing. In July, Marc Stein reported that Powell and his representatives remained in contact with Dallas and that he had been hoping to play at least one more season.

That wish has now been granted.

The Mavericks officially re-signed Powell on September 25. The deal includes a $1 million partial guarantee that rises to $1.5 million if he is not waived before the start of the season.

There is just one problem.

Dallas already has 15 standard contracts.

Powell’s signing brings the Mavericks’ training-camp roster to 19 players, but Powell is the only player on the roster currently sitting outside the standard and two-way groups. The three two-way spots are already occupied by Jett Howard, Tobi Lawal and John Poulakidas.

That means Dallas still has a decision to make.

Marc Stein reported that the Mavericks have not ruled out creating a standard roster spot for Powell. In other words, this is not necessarily the end of Powell’s Dallas return. It may only be the beginning of another roster decision.

And that is where the story gets interesting.

Dallas does not need to create a 16th standard roster spot simply because Powell has been brought back. The team can take him into training camp, evaluate the roster and decide whether another move is necessary.

If the Mavericks want Powell on the opening-night standard roster, however, somebody else has to make room.

That could mean a waiver. It could mean a trade. Or it could mean Powell ultimately does not make the final 15.

For now, Dallas has not identified which player would be moved, and there is no confirmed indication that any particular Maverick is being pushed out to make room for Powell.

That uncertainty is important because Powell is not simply an aging veteran trying to hang onto a roster spot.

He is one of the longest-tenured players in franchise history.

Powell has spent 12 seasons with Dallas and ranks fifth in franchise history in games played, with 763. He is also fourth in Mavericks history in field-goal percentage, with a career mark of .606.

His numbers last season were modest. Powell played 63 games, starting 12, and averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.3 minutes per game. But his role has never been based only on scoring.

He has remained a high-efficiency finisher and screener, while also becoming one of the team’s veteran voices.

Maxi Kleber once called Powell a “maniac” because of his energy and approach to the game. Luka also spoke about Powell’s leadership after the veteran suffered a devastating Achilles injury in 2020.

“Especially a guy like Dwight who works his ass off, it’s tough. Off the court and on the court, he gave us a lot. He’s a great guy. He doesn’t deserve this, and he’s going to come back stronger, for sure.”

Powell eventually did exactly that. He returned from the injury and later played all 82 games in the 2021-22 season.

Now, Dallas is once again deciding how much that experience is worth.

The Mavericks have a young group that includes Cooper Flagg, Dereck Lively II, Morez Johnson Jr. and Moussa Cisse, along with established bigs such as Daniel Gafford, Santi Aldama and P.J. Washington. Powell’s value may therefore be less about being a major rotation piece and more about what he can give Dallas when experience, depth and familiarity matter.

That makes his return more complicated than a simple reunion with his old team.

Dallas brought Powell back because it still sees value in having him around. But the Mavericks have also built a roster where there is no obvious free spot waiting for him.

And that leaves one final question hanging over the entire situation.

Powell once shared a locker room with Luka for more games than anyone else in the superstar’s NBA career. The Lakers were later linked to Powell as a possible big-man option, creating a natural path toward seeing the two former teammates together again.

Instead, Powell is back in Dallas.

Whether that becomes a permanent return or simply a training-camp chapter is still unresolved. Dallas could create the space to keep him, or the 15-man limit could eventually force the Mavericks to make a different decision.

For now, one thing is clear: the player who knows Luka’s game better than almost anyone is back where their partnership began. The question is whether Dallas has enough room to keep him there.