Roundup
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Pelicans
San Antonio Spurs
Mavericks waive Dwight Powell, Tobias Harris out early: Southwest Division roundup
No games on the slate, but major roster moves in the Southwest Division as Dallas parts ways with Dwight Powell and San Antonio loses Tobias Harris for opening night.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: PickALeagueSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
Mavericks move on from long-time center Dwight Powell
It was a quiet night on the court in the Southwest Division, but not in front offices. As relayed by Hoops Rumors, the Dallas Mavericks cut their roster down to the 15-player limit by waiving veteran center Dwight Powell. The outlet notes that Powell was the longest-tenured player in the organization, having spent the past 12 years in Dallas. No additional Mavericks moves were reported, with the team sitting at 1-3 in the current Southwest standings.
Spurs to open without Tobias Harris
In San Antonio, the Spurs’ marquee offseason addition won’t be available for opening night. According to Hoops Rumors, citing reporting from the San Antonio Express-News, forward Tobias Harris — described as the club’s primary free agent pickup — will be sidelined for Tuesday’s regular-season opener in Oklahoma City as he continues to recover from a left calf strain. The report indicates he is still ramping up his workload. San Antonio, currently listed at 2-3, will have to start the year without him as it sorts out roles around Victor Wembanyama and evaluates pieces such as Ron Harper Jr. and Jack Gillespie, who are also referenced in the Hoops Rumors note.
Grizzlies trim, Rockets convert contracts
The Memphis Grizzlies made their own cuts. Per Hoops Rumors, Memphis is waiving Walter Clayton Jr. and Micah Peavy. The team had been dealing with a roster crunch, carrying 16 guaranteed contracts plus Jaylen Wells on a partially guaranteed deal, and the moves position the Grizzlies to have their regular-season roster ready. In a separate item flagged by Hoops Rumors and attributed to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Memphis is described as looking to trade second-year guard Walter Clayton Jr. ahead of the roster deadline, with the Kings mentioned as a possible destination. No final outcome on that pursuit is reported yet. The Grizzlies currently sit at 3-1 in the division.
In Houston, the Rockets carried out a flurry of end-of-bench maneuvers to set their group. Hoops Rumors reports that the team converted the Exhibit 10 contracts of big man Oscar Tshiebwe and forward Julian Phillips into two-way deals. Houston already had one two-way slot open and cleared another by waiving a player identified as Pedulla. Those decisions finalize the framework of the roster for a Rockets team that stands at 2-1 in the Southwest. There were no notable updates reported for the 3-1 New Orleans Pelicans.