The Dallas Mavericks are trying to keep their head above water as injuries have sidelined the two stars of the franchise – Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The 22-17 franchise has gone 2-6 in their last eight games but is holding on to the No. 5 seed in the West. They are solid contenders if their squad is fully healthy, but even they have one glaring weakness when their roster is complete.
The team has no backup four they can rely on, with Maxi Kleber as the only option for the franchise. Instead of watching Kleber actively not shoot the ball, they need to use his contract and aggressively canvas the market for potential upgrades. Given the limited role of the backup power forward, the Mavericks can acquire a versatile big man from the Toronto Raptors.
Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Kelly Olynyk ($12.8 million)
Toronto Raptors Receive: Maxi Kleber ($11.0 million), Olivier-Maxence Prosper ($2.8 million), 2025 Second-Round Pick (DEN/PHI)
This deal swaps two Canadians, as Olynyk leaves Toronto for Dallas and Olivier-Maxence Prosper goes closer to home in his second NBA season. Prosper’s potential will intrigue the Raptors while Kleber will be a great veteran for the franchise. His contract will expire in 2026, so it’s a manageable and short-term cap hold for them.
The Mavericks Add Another Offensive Dimension To Their Frontcourt
The Mavericks are one of the best offenses in the NBA. After all scorers not named Luka Doncic were completely neutralized by the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals, the franchise made an active effort to make the squad more dynamic over the offseason. They’ve achieved that, with more on-ball decision-makers on the roster instead of 3-and-D specialists.
To continue piling on the offensive advantage, they have to look at acquiring Kelly Olynyk. He’s averaging 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds this season, shooting 42.3% from three. This isn’t a mandatory hole the Mavericks need to fill but it gives them a lot more options in terms of lineups. We’ve seen their paint-oriented centers be played off the court with Kleber being the only solution as a small-ball five.
Olynyk can be an offensive option at the five when the Lively-Gafford archetype has been schemed out of the game by a Playoff opponent, like what the Celtics did. His primary role will be to be PJ Washington’s backup at power forward, making the Mavericks even more versatile offensively.
The Raptors Add A Potential Young Star
The Toronto Raptors are flat-out tanking this season, opening the season with an 8-31 record. The franchise has rarely tanked as egregiously as this season in the Masai Ujiri era, hoping to land a franchise-changing prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft. A player like Olynyk keeps the Raptors competitive in ways they’d rather not be, especially as teams zero in on tanking past the halfway point of the season.
Instead of losing value on the 33-year-old Olynyk next season, the Raptors can parlay his value into landing Olivier Maxence-Prosper. OMax has broken into the Mavs roster this season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds at the end of the bench. The 23-year-old sophomore is considered to be a prototypical frontcourt three-and-D prospect, but the Mavs haven’t been able to highlight him at all in the last two seasons.
The Raptors will have an opportunity for OMax to prove his value. His rookie contract won’t be hard to manage as the franchise gives one of their own countrymen a shot at establishing himself in the NBA.
Maxi Kleber is averaging 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 points this season, so he will fill in a nice veteran rotational spot before potentially being on the move again next season as an expiring contract.
The Mavericks Choose To Stay Active
When you look at the Mavericks roster and how it’s been constructed, it’s hard to point out many flaws. They embraced an offensive style this season and have made the moves to justify that style, which seems to be working on the court. The team is more competitive now than it’s ever been without Doncic on the court. Even just the presence of Kyrie Irving has them playing at a top-six pace.
Instead of resting on the strong roster they’ve built, they stay active by filling the only glaring hole on the roster. It’s a low-risk deal that improves their offensive ceiling, which could be useful in the Playoffs. Olynyk is also a veteran, so he should be motivated to win and would be a great addition to the Mavericks.
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