7 Dallas Mavericks players who might not last the entire 2024-25 season

Now that the NBA offseason news and buzz of free agency is finally dying down, it's time to look ahead to the 2024-25 season.

Training camp will be here before we know it, and there's plenty to be excited about if you're a Dallas Mavericks fan considering the offseason they just had.

Dallas rounded out their 15-man roster by signing Spencer Dinwiddie last week, and while another move looks to be on the horizon, the Mavs roster looks more complete than it ever has in the Luka Doncic era.

7 Dallas Mavericks players who might not last the entire 2024-25 season

Nico Harrison and the Mavs front office have been getting praised all summer long for the work they did to strengthen the roster, and the signing of Klay Thompson has the potential to be groundbreaking for the Mavericks.

Dallas needed another shooter badly during the NBA Finals when they went cold, and Thompson is the type of player who can knock down a couple of threes in the blink of an eye and turn the tide of the game.

Dallas' roster is looking extremely strong going into next season, but that doesn't mean that it won't change by the end of it. The Mavs are known for making midseason trades to strengthen their team, and with their title window being somewhat tight with Doncic and Kyrie Irving at the helm, this year will likely be no different.

Several Mavs players could have new homes before the end of next season, and Dallas is always looking for ways to get better.

7. Maxi Kleber

Over the course of his seven-year career with the Mavs, Maxi Kleber has shown exceptional growth. He went from being an undrafted player to a key role player for one of the best teams in the Western Conference, but he is starting to hit a wall when it comes to his production.

Last season, Kleber averaged 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from downtown. This was Kleber's lowest points per game average of his career, and he only played in 43 games.

Injuries are starting to catch up to him, as he battled a shoulder injury for the majority of the playoffs. Kleber ended up returning, but he was never the same player and had no confidence when shooting threes.

Kleber's game is all based around his ability to play good defense and knock down open shots, and if he isn't playing with confidence, he becomes hard to use offensively.

Kleber is someone the Mavs could use as trade bait at the trade deadline, and his contract will expire in two seasons. He is seemingly already tiptoeing between being a vital asset or trade bait due to his inconsistency, and the Mavs may look to make an upgrade at some point next season.

6. A.J. Lawson

After the Dallas Mavericks missed out on Spencer Dinwiddie last season, they decided to convert A.J. Lawson's two-way contract to a standard deal. They were able to lock him up for four years on an extremely team-friendly contract, but the end of the road for Lawson's tenure with the Mavs may be coming sooner than expected.

Lawson has already been rumored as someone who could get cut if the Mavs end up re-signing Markieff Morris, and if he ends up not getting cut, Dallas could look to trade him before the deadline as a throw-in to a potential deal they make.

Last season for Dallas, Lawson appeared in 42 games and averaged 3.2 points and 1..2 rebounds per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 26 percent from downtown. While Lawson always seemed to flash his potential as a defender and brought good energy, it wouldn't be a huge loss if Dallas decided to move on from him.

There is no room for him in the rotation, and it would be hard for him to develop without him getting consistent minutes. The clock may have already run out for Lawson considering that he is already on the brink of getting cut, and if he makes it to the regular season, don't expect for him to be untouchable either.

Lawson brings great energy and is a good fit in Dallas, but there aren't enough minutes to go around for everyone. A rebuilding team could be a better overall fit for him.

5. Klay Thompson

The Dallas Mavericks are a team that is never afraid to make a big swing, but they are also not afraid to admit they messed up and move on.

Last offseason, the Mavs made a big sign-and-trade for Grant Williams, but this deal quickly failed. Williams wasn't ready for the role that Dallas assigned him, and he wasn't the best fit on or off the floor.

There were rumblings that Williams wore out his welcome with the Mavs due to his "yapping" and rubbing people the wrong way, and the Mavs got rid of him in a trade for P.J. Washington in the middle of the season.

Something like this happening for Klay Thompson seems far less unlikely, but there are undeniably question marks with his potential fit in Dallas. If Thompson's defense isn't good enough, the Mavs could have a big problem on their hands.

Dallas already has two players in their starting lineup (Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving) who aren't the best defenders, and if Thompson can't be a good stopper on the wing, the Mavs defense would take a big step back from what it was last season.

Dallas' defense thrived due to Derrick Jones Jr.'s point-of-attack defense on the wing, and Thompson will at least need to be above average on this end.

All signs are pointing to Thompson being an outstanding fit and he can't wait to get to work and pursue his fifth ring, but things can change quickly in the NBA. Fans should be ecstatic about Thompson's potential with the Mavs, but if things were somehow to go south (which seems unlikely), then don't rule out Dallas moving on.

4. Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Last offseason, the Dallas Mavericks traded back into the first round to select Olivier-Maxence Prosper out of Marquette. Dallas had already drafted Dereck Lively II earlier that night, and the move for Prosper was expected to be the cherry on top for a huge draft night.

There were even rumblings last offseason that Prosper was going to get big minutes right away and have a spot in the rotation, but those rumblings quickly died down due to his early struggles.

Last season for the Mavs, Prosper averaged 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from downtown. He only appeared in 40 games for the Mavs, but his development in the G League excited fans.

He turned into a 40-percent 3-point shooter for the Texas Legends, and although he flashed great potential in the G League, his Summer League performance was average at best.

Prosper's development hasn't gone as quickly as many fans had expected, and he may be someone that Dallas moves if they make a big deal before the trade deadline next season. Young teams who aren't contenders would likely love to get their hands on a potential-packed and versatile wing, and he could be used as a sweetener to get a big deal done.

Prosper still has the potential to pan out and be a good role player for the Mavs, but he may not be the untouchable future all-star that some fans still believe he can become.

3. Dante Exum

Dante Exum's performance is one of the biggest question marks about the Dallas Mavericks heading into the 2024-25 season.

Will the Mavs get the Exum who was an elite role player for them all season long or will the struggles that Exum endured during the 2024 NBA Playoffs continue?

The answer to this question is unclear at this point, and it could determine if he remains with the Mavs past the February trade deadline.

Last season for the Mavs, Exum averaged 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting a whopping 49.1 percent from downtown. Exum was the most consistent shooter on the team all season long, and he was nearly automatic off the catch.

This changed when the playoffs hit though, and Exum was nearly unplayable. He wasn't the same confident guard we saw during the regular season, and this caused the Mavs to look elsewhere for production off the bench.

If Exum can't consistently produce off the bench next season, he will undoubtedly be someone who could get moved before the deadline. The Mavs are doing whatever they can to build the best team possible, and if he doesn't prove he is reliable, there won't be any minutes for him.

The Mavs got much better than anyone realizes this offseason, and Exum has to show some improvement to avoid having his minutes and role go way down. Exum's injury history also must be considered when talking about his value to the Mavs, and he only played in 55 games last season.

2. Jaden Hardy

During Jaden Hardy's rookie year, he was someone who Dallas Mavericks fans fell in love with by the end of the season. Even though the Mavs didn't make the playoffs, Hardy's development was evident and he looked like he was going to be an excellent role player for years to come.

His consistency and confidence as a shooter stuck out, but his sophomore season went differently.

Hardy's role and minutes fluctuated all season long, and he couldn't find a consistent role in the rotation. Despite having several moments in which he looked like the Hardy of old, he couldn't string together enough consistent performances to prove that he is ready for a big role on a contending team.

Hardy put that notion to bed during the 2024 NBA Playoffs though, as he was key for the Mavs during the Western Conference Finals. His growth as a playmaker was striking, and his lob passes were on point all series long.

This was the type of player the Mavs needed him to be all the time, but if they don't see a future with him, they could look to trade him next season.

Hardy is on an expiring contract, and if Dallas doesn't see a future with him they could look to move him. He was someone who teams around the league were interested in last summer, and this year will be a big make-or-break season for him.

1. Dwight Powell

Dwight Powell is the definition of a true Dallas Maverick.

He is an outstanding teammate, great locker room guy, and plays his role (no matter what it is).

Last season, we saw Powell fall all the way to being the third-string center after the team traded for Daniel Gafford. Powell was the team's primary starting center the season before that, but his minutes plummeted after the additions of Dereck Lively II and Gafford.

Last summer, Powell re-signed with the Mavericks on a three-year deal while taking a big pay cut, and despite him being a great locker room guy all of these years, this could be the year that he is finally moved.

Powell has flashed his value at the Olympics so far, and a team could pursue him as a throw-in if the Mavs were to make some sort of trade at the deadline. He is good enough to receive some rotational minutes for a lower-tiered team, and his veteran presence is priceless.

Powell is set to make $4 million annually over the next two seasons, and due to his tradeable salary, he may be someone who is moved if Dallas were to make a blockbuster trade and needed to add another asset to help make the money match up.

Dallas doesn't necessarily need two players who aren't in the rotation for good vibes from the bench, and since it looks like Markieff Morris is coming back, it could be in the Mavs' best interest to trade Powell if the right deal presents itself.

For all the latest on Dwight Powell and the Dallas Mavericks all offseason long, stay tuned as we'll have you covered.