The Dallas Mavericks needed one more player to fill the 15th position on their roster. The Mavericks concluded their roster by signing guard Spencer Dinwiddie to a one-year contract.
The signing has brought Dinwiddie back to Dallas. Dinwiddie was instrumental in the Mavs’ run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals. Dinwiddie was then transferred to the Brooklyn Nets in the Kyrie Irving deal in 2023. However, Mavs fans are familiar with Dinwiddie’s game and should be thrilled that he is back in Dallas.
However, Dinwiddie’s return has put pressure on several players on the roster.
4 Mavericks who immediately became trade bait once Dinwiddie signed.
With Dinwiddie’s return, several of the team’s players may get less playing time. By the trade deadline, certain Dallas players might be on their way out.
The Mavericks’ roster has terrific depth, and while acquiring Dinwiddie benefits multiple players, it may also force them to trade part of that depth if players underperform.
Here are four Dallas Mavericks players who quickly became trade targets following Spencer Dinwiddie’s signing.
4. Maxi Kleber
Maxi Kleber is a power forward and Spencer Dinwiddie is a guard. But, Kleber would be used as trade bait with Dinwiddie back in Dallas.
Before the Mavs signed Dinwiddie, Kleber was already straddling the line between trade bait and valuable asset. With Dinwiddie in the team, Kleber is under extra pressure to perform well.
Kleber has been injured twice in the last two seasons, and his shooting confidence was weak when he returned from a right shoulder injury in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Dinwiddie isn’t scared to shoot the ball and has been healthy for the majority of his career.
Kleber also has a tradable deal, with two years remaining at $11 million per year. With such a talented backcourt, the Mavericks might deal Kleber to further improve their frontcourt.
Kleber would be one of the first Mavericks players to be considered trade bait now that Dinwiddie has returned to Dallas. The 32-year-old forward is under more pressure than ever before, as he appears to be always injured, and his effectiveness has deteriorated over time.
Dinwiddie will obviously not take away too many minutes from Kleber because they play different positions, but Dinwiddie may find himself higher on the depth chart than Kleber, forcing him to prove that he deserves more minutes.
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