Mavs' shot at trading for perfect Maxi Kleber replacement is closer than expected

After losing in the quarterfinal of the Emirates NBA Cup to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks will get four days of rest ahead of their Sunday night matchup versus the Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks have fought valiantly through a rough schedule, injuries, and illnesses recently en route to a 16-9 record, which gives them the fourth-best record in the Western Conference through 25 games.

The Mavericks aren't settled on their current roster by any means despite their ability to counter some early season adversity though, as there have been rumors that Dallas is looking to move 32-year-old big man Maxi Kleber ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. The Mavericks have a fairly complete roster, but to become as dynamic as some of the best teams in the NBA, they could use some upgrades across the margins.

Dallas' biggest area of need right now is easily a backup four or bigger-bodied wing, as Kleber has proven to be far too deficient this season, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper hasn't proven capable of being a consistent valve in Dallas' rotation despite some encouraging performances recently.

Obi Toppin would be the perfect Maxi Kleber replacement in a trade

There are plenty of names across the league that Dallas could target in a one-for-one swap with Kleber's $11 million salary, but if Dallas wants to seek a name that might be more ambitious and would assuredly take more than just Kleber to land in a deal, they could call the Indiana Pacers in regards to acquiring Obi Toppin.

In a recent podcast from "Query & Company", ESPN insider Bobby Marks joined the hosts to discuss the Indiana Pacers, and Marks revealed that Toppin would be the most likely Pacer to be moved ahead of the trade deadline if Indiana elected to make a move.

Marks thinks Indiana may want to shed salary and preserve future flexibility by trading Toppin, and if they sent Toppin to Dallas for Kleber and another salary or draft capital, Indiana would accomplish just that. Kleber is a free agent after the 2025-26 season and he'd turn into an expiring contract next season, while Toppin's deal currently extends through the 2027-28 season.

Kleber is already familiarized with Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, and he could be a great veteran presence to some of Indiana's young bigs like Jarace Walker and Isaiah Jackson. Indiana would be incentivized to do this deal if Dallas threw in a sweetener such as Jaden Hardy or some picks, but this deal wouldn't just benefit Indiana if it went through, as Toppin would bring great versatility off the bench for the Mavericks.

Toppin is averaging 10.1 points per game on 53.3/32/9/88.0 shooting splits, but after shooting over 40 percent on 3-pointers last season, this may be the perfect time for Dallas to try and low-ball Indiana in hopes of Toppin's shooting from outside rekindling to the level it was at last season. Toppin would bring a level of athlete that Dallas hasn't had in their lineup since Derrick Jones Jr., as Toppin is an elite defender who can switch onto nearly every position.

Toppin is also an underrated driver, as he has some savvy attacks off closeouts and is a great finisher in transition. Toppin would easily be one of Dallas' best pieces off the bench, especially if he could get his shooting back intact. Bidding for Toppin's services would likely require Dallas' trading one of their shot creators off the bench like Hardy or Spencer Dinwiddie, but that may be the swap Dallas needs to make given that adding defensive intensity in their frontcourt off the bench is a huge need at the moment.