The Dallas Mavericks, fresh off a 1-3 preseason run that wrapped up with a Friday night loss to the Atlanta Hawks, are already making tough calls as the regular season looms. Their first move? Waiving shooter John Poulakidas Saturday afternoon, a move that only kicks off the real roster crunch for the Mavs. Poulakidas, who in just 13 games last season drained an impressive 40.3% from deep for Dallas, is now off the roster.
Poulakidas Waived, But the Roster Battle Rages On
Poulakidas got his shot with the Mavericks on March 2, 2026, signing a two-way contract right after the team made a huge trade, sending away Anthony Davis and officially ushering in the Cooper Flagg era. With their season effectively over by early March, the Mavs took some flyers on players, and Poulakidas was definitely one to watch, especially for a squad that notoriously struggled from beyond the arc, shooting below league average as a team.
He made the most of his limited time, averaging just shy of 20 minutes per game across 13 appearances. He put up 8.8 points and 2.3 assists nightly, and man, his shooting was exactly what they needed. He connected on 57.1% of his shots inside the arc and that stellar 40.3% from three-point land. You’d think a guy hitting at that clip would be a lock for a team looking for shooting, right?
But alas, his time in Dallas is done. The waiving of Poulakidas is part of their effort to get down to the proper number of roster spots for the regular season. However, if you’re thinking this move clears everything up, think again. It’s only part of the story. Even with Poulakidas gone, the Mavericks still have to eliminate another standard contract to comply with the 15-man maximum roster. That means someone else is on the chopping block, and even Dwight Powell himself could be dropped if no one else gets moved to keep him around. The final pieces of this roster puzzle are definitely going to be interesting.
Flagg’s Future Secured: A No-Brainer Move
While the Poulakidas news brings some immediate intrigue, there was one roster move that literally no one in the league was surprised by: the Mavericks opted to pick up Cooper Flagg’s third-year option. This was probably the most elementary decision possible for a player of Flagg’s caliber.
Players like Flagg, who signed their rookie deals last year and already have one year of NBA tenure under their belt, have their teams decide whether to pick up that third-year option. For most teams, especially when you’re talking about a talent like Flagg, this is an absolute no-brainer. The relative affordability of a rookie-scale deal makes it a simple decision for top-tier talent. This secures Flagg for another season at an excellent value and ensures the face of the franchise is locked in.
So, with the preseason in the rearview and the regular season just days away, Dallas isn’t done making tough decisions. They’ve trimmed one shooter, but there’s still at least one more move looming to get to the 15-man limit. You know everyone is watching to see who else gets the axe and what this final roster looks like when the real games begin!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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