3 Mavericks Playing Their Last Season in Dallas This Year

2. Maxi Kleber

Maxi Kleber's development into one of Dallas' most important rotational pieces has been great to watch. He's embraced doing the dirty work and handling the team's toughest assignments, leading to him making an impact that extends far beyond the box score.

That being said, the 2022-23 campaign was a major step back for the German, and the Mavericks should explore extracting some value out of their glue guy before it's too late.

First there's the injury concerns. Kleber was limited to just 37 appearances last season due to a torn hamstring. That continued a trend of the big man missing extended time, as he's also suited up in just 50 and 59 games in the two seasons prior to that.

Kleber's all-around contributions were sorely lacking when he did suit up last campaign, with the power forward posting his lowest PPG (5.9) and RPG (3.6) since his rookie year. The whopping 118 defensive rating Dallas recorded when Kleber was on the floor is a major concern, as that's where he's supposed to help (not hurt) this squad the most.

Making Kleber's outlook even more dire is the fact the Mavericks added Grant Williams this offseason, who's essentially a souped-up (and much younger) version of the almost 32-year-old.

With Luka Doncic's long-term happiness on the line, Dallas can't afford to cling to players for sentimental reasons. Kleber's skill set, and team-friendly $11 million per year contract, will certainly appeal to other teams. Trading him could bring in other assets to help this squad contend, and free up center minutes for promising rookie Derick Lively II.