Mavericks must avoid moving veteran forward despite trade speculation

One of the longest tenured Dallas Mavericks players has continuously shown that he is a key piece of the franchise.

Veteran forward Maxi Kleber has seniority as the second-longest active tenured Maverick on the team behind only Dwight Powell.

His assets have been much appreciated by Mavs fans over the years, but now, in a changing landscape with plenty of new faces on next season's team, there have been arguments on how he's on the line between trade bait and a key player.

Mavericks can't afford to trade Maxi Kleber

Kleber started out as a late bloomer in the NBA, starting his career in his mid-20s. Since then, he's become a valuable asset to the Mavericks.

For starters, he's been missed when he's not played due to recent injuries. In the 2022-23 season, he was sidelined for much of the year because of a right hamstring tear, then missed some time in the 2024 playoffs due to a right shoulder injury.

There's no doubt that he takes some tough shots for the team, and it's enough to get any bench fired up.

He's also come through in clutch times when they've mattered most. Kleber helped out in a ginormous way in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers when he scored 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Or when he knocked down a buzzer-beating 3-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers late in the season when they needed it most.

In the grand scheme of Kleber on the team, he presents defensive versatility when he's on the court. He moves his feet well while he contests shots with great timing. His shooting ability can't be overlooked either. He's been in plenty of games over the last two seasons in clutch time.

Kleber doesn't have to be a guy to play over 25 minutes to be a valuable player to his team. All he has to do is just play his role by providing decent perimeter shooting and making it tough for his opponents to score the ball.

Kleber may be a player that may not be on the Mavericks by next offseason. Maybe he doesn't last past the trade deadline, his injuries alone may be a reason alone to get traded.

But Kleber represents what a Maverick is. He plays his role. It may not be as big of a role compared to his other teammates. He plays physically, he's tougher than he looks and makes shots when he needs to.

Kleber has lasted this long on multiple changing rosters over the last four years. It must mean something to management if he's been standing this long, and Dallas should keep him around rather than trade him.

For more on the Mavs this offseason, stay tuned.