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The Dallas Mavericks might seek some upgrades to give them a better chance of winning a championship.
According to Mike Scotto of HoopsHype, the Mavs could part with a longtime fan favorite.
“Dallas is about $5.3 million above the luxury tax,” Scotto noted. “Keep an eye on Maxi Kleber as a potential trade candidate. The Mavericks will look to unload him due to his remaining $22 million owed through next season.”
Kleber has not played more than 50 games in a season since 2022, when he made 83 three-pointers.
It’s clear that the 32-year-old German forward is on the decline, but his salary can pair nicely with a couple of other assets to help the Mavs bring in the necessary upgrades.
However, whichever team ends up with the sharpshooter could benefit from having his veteran leadership and lighthearted humor around.
Kleber missed significant time during the playoffs with a shoulder injury, but returned for the Mavs in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves and played in every NBA Finals game against the Boston Celtics.
Kleber could be used to bring back another former Mavs fan favorite. It can be tough parting with a staple of your organization, but the Mavs’ championship window is now, and they have to act on it accordingly.
Most other teams around the league would dream of having a core of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Dereck Lively to work with.
An argument could be made that losing Kleber’s veteran leadership could hurt the locker room. Given the experience many players already have on their roster, they should be able to manage.
But at the same time, Kleber could be much more useful on a young team in need of veteran leadership rather than a team ready to win.
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