3 Mavericks Playing Their Final Postseason in Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks are headed to the NBA Playoffs after a one-year hiatus. They hit their stride at the right time as they have been one of the hottest teams in the league since the trade deadline. Led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavs have as good of a shot as any to make a deep postseason run in the Western Conference.

Regardless of how far Dallas goes, it will be the last time some of the key players will play in a Mavericks jersey. This team is a championship contender now, so they have to maximize their roster spots and salary cap accordingly. Let's take a look at the likeliest candidates to not return next season.

Maxi Kleber

The 32-year-old big man has long been one of the more underrated players in the league. His ability to play either frontcourt spot, switch out on the perimeter, and defend across multiple positions has proven very valuable for the Mavericks over the years. On top of his contributions on the defensive end, he has been a reliable three-point shooter, making him a rare three-and-D big man for the Mavericks.

In fact, he was a huge part of the 2022 Conference Finals run, when he was in the closing lineup consistently throughout the playoffs.

Yet, the German power forward is not the player he once was. He struggles to stay healthy. He missed 45 games last season and 38 so far this season. When he is available, he can't play too many minutes without getting injured. He is a step slower on the defensive end and can't make his three-point shots on the offensive end. At this stage of his career, he is an offensive liability.

Plus, the Mavericks now have P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively, and Daniel Gafford in their frontcourt rotation. It will be hard to find Kleber enough minutes in the rotation. Add in the fact that he is slated to make $22 million guaranteed for the next two seasons, and it may be time to move on from him.