Not every NBA career ends with a farewell tour or a retirement announcement. Sometimes, a familiar face simply disappears from the league after more than a decade of showing up, doing his job and helping those around him shine. For one longtime Dallas Mavericks center, that moment has now arrived.

He spent years playing alongside one of basketball’s most recognizable superstars, became a regular part of the Mavericks’ identity and even experienced the NBA Finals. But after 13 seasons in the league, his next destination is thousands of miles away from Dallas.

The player is Dwight Powell. The 35-year-old Canadian center is joining Fenerbahce after Dallas waived him ahead of the 2026-27 season. And while his NBA departure might have looked like another routine roster move, Kyrie Irving’s reaction showed just how much he meant to the people around him.

“He’ll be severely missed. He gave a lot to the franchise, just a consummate professional. A good friend of mine, a bunch of us on the team, past and present. And he represented a lot here in the city of Dallas. I was in the hot tub. It’s a little heartbreaking. We’re going to miss him. But you got to add in the phrase, it’s just NBA business. But it’s always tough when you lose a good human in the locker room that represents leadership.”

That’s quite a farewell for someone who was never the biggest name on the roster. Yet Powell’s story in Dallas was never really about putting up superstar numbers. It was about finding a role, earning trust and holding on to it through years of change.

From a second-round pick to a Dallas mainstay

Powell’s NBA journey began in 2014 when the Charlotte Hornets selected him 45th overall. After his draft rights passed through Cleveland and Boston, he eventually landed in Dallas as part of the blockbuster Rajon Rondo trade in December that year. Few could have predicted just how long he would stay.

Over the next 12 seasons, Powell became a constant through several different versions of the Mavericks. He played alongside Dirk Nowitzki toward the end of the German legend’s career, shared the court with Doncic through his rise to superstardom, and eventually crossed paths with Cooper Flagg. In fact, he was the only player to share the court with all three generations of Dallas basketball.

That kind of longevity is not something every NBA player gets to experience. Powell appeared in 763 regular-season games for Dallas, the fifth-most in franchise history. Across his entire NBA career, including his brief stint in Boston, he played 768 games.

His contribution was not always measured by the points column. Powell averaged 6.5 points and 4.2 rebounds over his NBA career, but his efficiency tells another part of the story. His 60.6% career shooting percentage ranks fourth in Mavericks history, a remarkable return for someone who spent so much time doing the less glamorous work around the basket.

The Luka Doncic connection was no accident

Of course, for many fans, Powell will always be remembered alongside Doncic. The two played 389 games together, more than Doncic shared with any other Mavericks teammate. Their pick-and-roll partnership became a regular feature of Dallas’ offense, with Powell setting screens and diving toward the rim while Luka created the openings.

Powell himself had a pretty simple explanation for why the combination worked. Speaking about their time together in 2025, he said:

“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.”

He also had plenty of praise for what Doncic brought to their partnership.

“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.”

And when asked what made their chemistry work, Powell offered a line that perfectly summed up his role beside the superstar:

“Some quick convos early on and understanding he’s a very special player and getting space to operate and understand teams are gonna do some creative strategies to try and throw him off his game. But just to make yourself available and let him be great — so there was a lot of fun playing with him for sure.”

That partnership also survived the biggest change in their Dallas story. When Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025, Powell remained with the Mavericks. A few months later, he was asked whether Dallas should retire Doncic’s No. 77 jersey. His answer was short, but there was no hesitation:

“I mean, yeah. That’s not obviously my decision, but yeah.”

A Finals appearance, an injury comeback and a lasting legacy

Powell’s Dallas journey also included a moment that every NBA player dreams of experiencing. He was part of the Mavericks team that reached the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Dallas eventually fell short, but the appearance gave Powell a place in one of the franchise’s biggest campaigns.

His role during that playoff run was limited. He averaged just 3.4 minutes across 13 postseason appearances, including 16 minutes across three Finals games. Still, after spending nearly a decade with the franchise, being part of that journey was another milestone in his career.

There was also a difficult chapter along the way. In January 2020, Powell suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon against the LA Clippers, an injury that ended his season and ruled him out of the NBA bubble. He returned the following campaign, eventually putting together one of his most durable seasons.

In 2021-22, Powell played all 82 regular-season games and all 18 of Dallas’ playoff games. That meant 100 appearances in a single campaign, making him the only Maverick to feature in every game that season.

His impact extended beyond the court, too. Powell created the Dwight Powell Children and Family Support Fund following the death of his mother from breast cancer in 2012. The initiative, established with UT Southwestern’s Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, supports cancer patients and their children. He also received the NBA’s 2020 Bob Lanier Community Assist Award.

That commitment was reflected in the words of Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri when the franchise announced his departure.

“Dwight was the consummate professional throughout his 12 seasons with the Mavericks and embodies everything you want in someone representing your organization. He’s a tireless worker, an incredible teammate and someone whose impact extends well beyond the basketball court and into the Dallas community. We are grateful for everything Dwight has contributed to this franchise. He will always be part of the Mavericks family.”

Why the NBA chapter ended

Powell’s departure might look like a routine roster cut on paper, but the circumstances deserve a closer look. Dallas waived him on October 19 after entering training camp with 15 guaranteed contracts already on its books. Keeping Powell would have required the Mavericks to make another roster move, and the franchise ultimately chose to retain young center Moussa Cissé instead.

Powell was on a one-year minimum-salary arrangement with a $1 million partial guarantee. Reports indicated that Dallas had wanted to keep the veteran big man but could not find a trade to open another roster spot. This was a numbers decision rather than clear evidence that Powell had run out of basketball.

Even head coach Dusty May acknowledged that the veteran still had something left to offer.

“I think Dwight Powell, in my short stint here this summer, this fall, up until this season, his professionalism, his attitude, he exemplified everything that you want a Maverick to be about. And so I just want to say thanks to him. He certainly had an impact on all of us as a player here in the organization.”

May was also asked whether Powell could continue playing in the NBA. His response was telling:

“Would I be surprised to see Dwight playing somewhere? I wouldn’t. He still has some miles in the tank.”

A new challenge awaits in Istanbul

Now, Powell gets the chance to show exactly what those remaining miles can offer. Fenerbahce confirmed his signing on October 30, bringing an experienced NBA center into a team with ambitions in European basketball. The Turkish club had reportedly been in talks with him for some time, while several other EuroLeague teams also showed strong interest.

Powell’s skill set gives the signing a clear basketball purpose. He is an effective screen-setter, a reliable finisher around the rim and an experienced pick-and-roll partner. Those qualities could be particularly useful alongside Shane Larkin, giving Fenerbahce another option to create scoring opportunities around the basket.

The club also made its excitement clear in its announcement, welcoming the Canadian to the family and wishing him success in its yellow-and-navy jersey. Powell will now get to experience a different basketball culture after spending more than a decade competing in the NBA.

For Mavericks fans, though, his departure marks the end of a familiar presence. One fan reacting to his exit even wrote, “NO I MISS YOU,” a simple response that captured the affection some supporters have for the longtime Dallas center.

The Mavericks also had their own message for him:

“A legacy of unwavering leadership, dedication to our community and giving it your all on the court. Thank you for everything, DP. Forever a Maverick.”

Powell may be leaving the NBA, but his basketball journey is far from over. After sharing the floor with Dirk Nowitzki, building a memorable partnership with Luka Doncic and reaching the NBA Finals, he now has another opportunity waiting in Istanbul.

And if his 12 years in Dallas proved anything, it is that a player’s value is not always found in the spotlight. Sometimes, it is found in the trust he earns, the teammates he helps and the mark he leaves behind.