4 Mavericks players whose stock has plummeted this preseason

After three preseason games, the Dallas Mavericks are sitting at 0-3.

They started the preseason off with back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi and then traveled to Madrid to face Real Madrid.

This is not a great start to the preseason, but it is no reason to overreact. There is still plenty of time until the regular season, and both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are battling injuries.

4 Mavericks players whose stock has plummeted this preseason

Things will be different once both of Dallas' stars are back from injury, but there have been a few players who haven't looked the best since starting the preseason.

Here are four players whose stocks have plummeted this preseason.

4. Maxi Kleber

The Dallas Mavericks signed Maxi Kleber to a three-year extension before the 2022-23 season. Kleber was coming off a solid stretch during the playoffs, and he had proved that he was crucial to the Mavs.

He averaged 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 43.6 percent from downtown. He came up big when Dallas needed him to, and his ability to defend and stretch the floor was great.

Now, over a year after the extension, Kleber has not lived up to his $33 million extension. Kleber injured his hamstring last season and wasn't the same after it.

During the preseason, Kleber has not looked great. Despite having fully recovered from his hamstring injury, he has not produced much. He has only scored four points in 37 minutes over three games.

Kleber is still not moving the best, and the Mavs may be seriously regretting giving him that extension before last season. He still has plenty of time to get going, and hamstring injuries are no joke, but he has not had the best start to preseason after three games.

3. Richaun Holmes

Richaun Holmes is someone that Mavs fans have liked over the last few years, often pushing the front office to make a move for him.

Dallas finally made a move for him this summer, and he recognized the love that Mavs fans have given him over the last few years.

Mark Cuban even called the Holmes move "the most underrated pickup of the summer."

Despite the high expectations for Holmes, he hasn't produced much in his limited preseason action.

Through three preseason games, Holmes is a combined 1-7 from the field with just three rebounds. His poor play has almost guaranteed him the third center spot, as it looks like Dereck Lively II will be the starter, while Dwight Powell will be the first center off the bench.

People had mixed emotions when Holmes came to Dallas, as he was coming off a season in which he averaged 3.1 points per game. Was that because he was behind Domantas Sabonis or because his play had regressed?

It seems like both happened, and Holmes doesn't look like he will contribute much for the Mavs this year.

There is still plenty of time for him to get his footing in Dallas, and he could carve out a solid role for himself, but he hasn't looked the best so far.

2. Mike Miles Jr.

Despite being waived by the Dallas Mavericks last week, Mike Miles Jr. deserves a spot on this list.

Hopes were high for Miles Jr. since draft night, as the young guard was signed to a two-way contract within hours of the draft ending. Miles Jr. was raised in Dallas and played at TCU. The Mavs seemed like the perfect destination for him.

He wouldn't have to move, and this would be a great place for him to grow and focus in his game.

Despite the seemingly perfect fit, Dallas moved on from Miles Jr. without giving him much of a chance. Miles Jr. didn't play in any of Dallas' first three preseason games, and Dallas waived him to create room for one more two-way spot.

It is unknown why Dallas waived Miles Jr. at this time, but it could be assumed that it is because Dallas already has so many guards. The guard room is incredibly packed, and Miles Jr. likely wouldn't have gotten much playing time at all if they held on to him.

With the signing of Taze Moore (and later waiving), it seems as if Dallas is focussing on giving the final two two-way spots to a wing. Greg Brown III and Dexter Dennis are all both in contention for this spot, and there have been rumors that Dallas is already planning on signing Dennis.

Regardless of what happens with the final two-way spot, it seemed strange to give Miles Jr. a two-way contract right after the draft just to not play him during the preseason.

1. Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Olivier-Maxence Prosper came into the preseason with just as high hope from fans as fellow rookie Dereck Lively II.

Dallas drafted Prosper with the No. 24 overall pick this summer, and all the noise coming from the Mavs seemed like they thought he was going to be a vital rotation piece once the season rolled around.

Heading into the preseason, Dallas head coach Jason Kidd announced that Prosper would be starting on the wing next to Grant Williams, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Lively II. This was mainly to see how Prosper fit next to Doncic, Irving, and Williams, and he was clearly going to be fighting for the starting job if he performed well.

After three preseason games, Prosper hasn't played the best, and being in the starting lineup seems out of the picture. In these three games, Prosper scored a total of 11 points in 50 minutes of action.

Prosper struggled shooting the ball while on the floor, as he shot a combined 0-9 from 3-point range in Dallas' first three preseason games. His game is much more raw than expected, and he should be expected to come off the bench once the season starts.

Prosper still shows plenty of promise, and he could become an essential rotation piece eventually, but his stock is nowhere near as high as it was before Dallas' first three preseason games.