Powell had until Tuesday to decide whether or not he would activate his player option for the 2025-26 season. Per Stein’s report, the veteran center had made his decision a few days early, deciding to pick up the option worth $4 million. Powell appeared in 55 games this season but only averaged 10.0 minutes, his lowest mark since the 2014-15 season. He did not impact fantasy basketball this season, and that’s highly unlikely to change in 2025-26.

Powell is the lone change to the Mavericks’ starting five, as Dallas needs to account for the presence of Alperen Sengun in the Rockets’ lineup. Max Christie has moved to the bench. However, while his fantasy ceiling is lower, he should still be rostered in deep (and some standard) leagues.

Powell only played six minutes on Sunday, as a third-quarter collision with teammate Kessler Edwards ended his day. Powell received seven stitches to close a gash on his forehead and did not return. While Edwards suffered a cut over his left eye, he was able to return to Sunday’s game during the fourth quarter. Dallas finished Sunday’s loss with seven available players and may have similar issues for Monday’s game against the Spurs, as Dante Exum and Caleb Martin are under minutes restrictions due to their recent injuries.