The Dallas Mavericks‘ big man troubles just got worse. Maxi Kleber broke his right foot during Saturday’s 122-107 loss to the Boston Celtics, leaving the team seriously short-handed in the frontcourt.
The injury happened in the third quarter when Kleber limped to the locker room and didn’t return. While the team says they’ll check him out this week, sources close to the situation told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Shams Charania that he’ll be out for quite a while.
It’s terrible timing for Dallas. They just lost their starting center Dereck Lively II to a stress fracture in his right ankle, and he’s expected to miss at least two months.
The 32-year-old Kleber has been struggling this season even before the injury. He’s putting up career-low numbers across the board:
- Just 3.0 points per game
- Only 2.8 rebounds
- Shooting a disappointing 38.5% from the field
- Making only 26.5% of his three-pointers
Things are getting pretty desperate for the Mavs’ frontcourt. Their backup center Dwight Powell is also sidelined with a hip strain, leaving Daniel Gafford as their only healthy big man.
"It’s a hole. It’s tough," Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said after the game. "I’ve never seen anything like it, and it’s not going to get any better."
There might be some relief coming soon. Sources say Powell could return during the team’s upcoming five-game road trip that starts Wednesday.
The Mavericks (24-22) are now looking at all their options. They could make a trade before the February 6 deadline, or sign players to short-term deals. But there’s a catch – team sources say they’re worried about giving up too much in a trade for what might be just a temporary problem.
Kleber, who’s making $11 million this year and is signed through 2025-26, hasn’t been himself all season. His efficiency numbers have hit rock bottom, with career lows in almost every major statistical category.
Right now, Dallas is hanging onto the ninth spot in the Western Conference, just barely ahead of the Sacramento Kings and right behind the Phoenix Suns. With their big man rotation decimated, they’ll need to figure something out fast to stay in the playoff hunt.
