5 Mavericks Leaving Dallas in the New Year

3. Maxi Kleber

Speaking of the lackluster frontcourt, Maxi Kleber is right in the middle of this group's problems.

Kleber has been on the decline over the past few seasons, with his health being a major pain point. Unfortunately, injuries popped up quickly for the German forward once again this year, as he's sat since Nov. 8 due to a toe ailment.

Kleber's downward trend, coupled with his injury bug history, already put him on shaky footing entering the season. That's not even to mention the addition of Grant Williams, who is a younger and frankly better version of the rangy forward (even if his start to the campaign hasn't been the smoothest).

With a guaranteed $22 million and two years still remaining on his contract, Dallas would be wise to pursue an out before Kleber's body totally breaks down.

4. Dwight Powell

Moving Dwight Powell isn't as pressing due to his contract, but rather the mere space he's taking up on this roster.

The veteran has continued to underwhelm as a reserve big, averaging a meager 4.5 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 2023-24. His lackluster contributions have finally caught up to him, however, with Kidd scaling his playing time back significantly (14.5 MPG) this year.

The writing just appears to be on the wall here. A veteran's minutes going backwards after previously having a notable role is never a good thing for the player involved.

It's obvious Powell isn't the kind of contributor who's going to help raise this squad's ceiling during the Doncic era, and that's the kind of talent the Mavs need to be weeding out to keep the MVP candidate happy. With just $8 million and two years left on his deal, Powell would be easy trade fodder to fill out a bigger deal.