Kidd faces pivotal decision as trade buzz surrounds key Mavericks veteran

The Dallas Mavericks are going to need some answers following the latest injury to superstar Luka Doncic.

It's clear now. This is now Kyrie Irving's time to truly be the de facto leader of the group following what will be an extended period of time without Doncic.

January will be an important month for the Mavericks. Despite fans questioning Maxi Kleber's minutes, there's one strong case for Jason Kidd giving him minutes over the young forward, Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Kleber still deserves to play big minutes regardless of trade rumors

Kleber's name has been in the pot as someone who could be trade bait for the Mavericks this season. He isn't playing as well as fans are used to, and he has also struggled to stay on the floor.

His recent reputation has been bruised by multiple injuries over the past few years, and these injuries have hurt his performance.

But as long as Kleber has been healthy this season, he has been an incredible defender. He challenges the big guys by going straight up if they try and drive to the paint.

Getting by Kleber is a difficult task. Jason Kidd has seen that to reward him with valuable minutes in the games, even at the end of close games.

Kleber may not pull it from the perimeter as much as he did in years past, and while his latest offensive performances have come into question with great reason, it's really tough in this day and age to find someone who can defend like him and move on the perimeter at his size.

On the other hand, Prosper is someone who fans have been clearly excited about as a young forward eager to get more minutes in the rotation. Compared to Kleber, Prosper has been someone who has shown his athleticism, and he is beginning to find his outside shot and is much quicker on his feet.

Prosper is lacking another thing that Kleber has a clear advantage in.

Experience.

This is Kleber's eighth season with the team, and he's been just as important now as he was when he was a rookie. He's been teammates with Dirk Nowitzki, Jalen Brunson, and Kristaps Porzingis, and now with Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively II. The front office has trusted Kleber throughout his Maverick career, and it's clear to see why.

Being a team player doesn't come lightly in this generation. In this day, we see a lot more guys wanting to be traded if they're not getting the minutes to their own standard. With the Mavs being fortunate to have a bunch of highly skilled offensive players, they can afford to use Kleber's role differently at age 32.

Prosper has the potential to move up in the nightly rotation one day, and he's proved he deserves at least more of a look from Kidd and the coaching staff. If Kleber were to suffer another injury later this season, expect that to happen.

In the meantime, Kleber will hopefully continue to make use of his minutes through tough defense and hustle. They'll need it badly if they hope to stay on their feet in what will be a tough January to get through.