Maxi Kleber Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Maxi Kleber Sidelined With Broken Right Foot

January 25th, 2025 at 8:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber suffered a broken right foot in Saturday’s loss to Boston, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The team confirmed the news (via Twitter), adding that Kleber will be reevaluated later this week.

Kleber was injured late in the third quarter when he fell to the ground while backing up after a missed shot by Jaylen Brown, according to The Dallas Morning News (video link). He continued playing defense after the Celtics got the rebound, but began limping when he tried to contest a shot by Derrick White (video link).

Kleber hopped around on one leg before leaving the game during a stoppage in play. The team announced that he had been ruled out with what was originally believed to be an ankle injury.

Kleber had been playing on a restriction of 20 minutes per game after dealing with an oblique issue in early January. He has been considered one of Dallas’ top trade candidates due to his $11MM cap hit, but suffering a serious injury so close to the deadline will hurt his value. He’s under contract for $11MM again next season before becoming a free agent in 2026.

Kleber has been a valuable contributor mostly in a reserve role throughout his eight years in Dallas. He has appeared in 34 games this season and was averaging 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per night coming into today.

The timing of the injury is devastating for the Mavericks, who are already missing Dereck Lively and Dwight Powell from their big man rotation. The team announced Wednesday that Lively suffered a stress fracture in his right ankle and will be reevaluated in four weeks. Powell is dealing with a strained right hip that has kept him out of action since January 17.

“It’s a hole. It’s tough,” coach Jason Kidd told reporters after the game (Twitter video link from Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). “I’ve never seen anything like it, and it’s not gonna get any better.”

Mavs Notes: Edwards, Prosper, Klay, Hardy, Exum, Kleber

January 24th, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Mavericks missing several important contributors due to injuries, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters on Wednesday that the team’s “young players are going to get a lot of reps,” as Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News writes.

Kidd made good on that promise on Thursday. On the second end of a back-to-back set, facing the top-seeded Thunder in Oklahoma City, two-way player Kessler Edwards started and played a season-high 23 minutes, while second-year forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper saw 21 minutes off the bench.

Dallas was outscored by eight points with Prosper on the court and by seven points during Edwards’ minutes, but the duo helped keep the banged-up club in the game, combining for 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting, along with seven rebounds and a pair of steals. With veterans Kyrie Irving (24 points), P.J. Washington (22 points), and Spencer Dinwiddie (28 points) doing the rest of the heavy lifting, the Mavs picked up an impressive 121-115 victory.

“I thought this was a character win, maybe the best win of the season,” Kidd said, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “Shorthanded, next-man-up mentality.”

While the Thunder have looked like the class of the Western Conference this season, the Mavs seem to have their number. After knocking Oklahoma City out of the playoffs last spring, Dallas has gone 3-1 against the conference leaders this season. OKC is 35-5 against everyone else.

“To go against this team four times and come out 3-1, that’s where I feel like we laid our hat on,” Irving said, according to Sefko. “So we know we can play with the best. Now we got to build on that consistency. The last few games, we have not been as consistent as we’d like. (It was a) gutsy win.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Of Dallas’ many injured players, Klay Thompson (left ankle sprain) and Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) appear the closest to returning. They’ve been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game vs. Boston, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Naji Marshall (illness) and Dwight Powell (right hip strain) are still listed as out and will miss a third and fourth consecutive game, respectively, joining Luka Doncic, Dereck Lively, and Dante Exum on the injured list.
Although Exum has been shooting and ramping up his activity, his return is still a long ways off, Kidd said on Thursday (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News). The veteran guard has been recovering from wrist surgery since October and has yet to make his season debut.
According to Kidd, the Mavericks’ training staff currently has big man Maxi Kleber on a restriction of 20 minutes per game. Kleber’s importance has increased with Lively on the shelf for the foreseeable future, but after dealing with an oblique issue near the start of the month, he hasn’t logged more than 20:14 in a game since January 7.

Mavs Notes: Grimes, Irving, Gafford, Kleber

January 9th, 2025 at 7:35am CST by Luke Adams

With top scorers Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both unavailable on Tuesday due to injuries, Quentin Grimes stepped into a starring role for the Mavericks, racking up 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in 29 minutes off the bench as Dallas registered a 21-point win.

Grimes, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, has primarily served as a three-and-D wing since entering the NBA, but pointed out after Tuesday’s win that he has some point guard experience.

“In high school, I was primarily (point guard),” Grimes said, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. “At U of H (University of Houston), (I was) the primary ball-handler. I’m definitely comfortable with whatever. I know with Luka and Kyrie, I can space out the court. It makes it easy for me to drive and play off closeouts. … I’m going to do whatever to help the team win.”

It was another big game for Grimes, who has averaged 14.1 points per game on .479/.417/.740 shooting in his last 19 contests. The 24-year-old observed following his performance against the Lakers that the absences of Doncic and Irving allow him to be more aggressive as a scorer and play-maker.

“It’s just a big opportunity for me, knowing we aren’t going to have Luka for a while,” Grimes said. “And then, Kyrie is out. I know I’m going to have an opportunity offensively to make plays for myself, make plays for my teammates.”

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Irving is currently sidelined due to a bulging disc in his back, which is the sort of injury that can become a recurring problem if it’s not managed correctly. However, head coach Jason Kidd expressed confidence on Tuesday that the Mavs will be able to get the issue under control without Irving requiring an extended absence, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link). “It is not long-term,” Kidd said on TNT. “We’re working on it. We’re positive the results will be good.”
The Mavs also provided a positive injury update on center Daniel Gafford, who sprained his left ankle on Monday and missed Tuesday’s game. As Afseth writes on his Substack, Gafford is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Portland, so even if he’s ultimately downgraded to out for that contest, it sounds like he’ll return soon.
Maxi Kleber is considered one of Dallas’ most logical trade candidates due to his $11MM cap hit and relatively modest role, but he has averaged 26.5 minutes per night in his last seven games, up from 17.0 MPG in his first 18 outings. Filling in for Gafford on Tuesday vs. the Lakers, Kleber was a +21 with five points and five assists in 29 minutes. “I think Maxi is not gonna be talked about, but I thought he did an incredible job of boxing out, being able to be physical,” Kidd said after that game, per Afseth. “(Anthony Davis) is not easy. He’s one of the best players in the league, and I thought he made it tough on him tonight. And then also his ability to play-make. We won’t always call Maxi a play-maker, but his ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays for guys to get open threes was big for us tonight.”

Injury Notes: Doncic, Mavs, Barnes, Poeltl, Beal, Wizards, Harris

December 19th, 2024 at 7:00am CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic (left heel contusion) has been ruled out for the Mavericks‘ game vs. the Clippers on Thursday, while Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness) is questionable to play, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link).

There was some good news on the injury front for Dallas, however, as neither Naji Marshall nor Maxi Kleber is on the injury report for Thursday’s game. Marshall has missed five of the Mavs’ past six games while battling an illness; Kleber was unavailable for the past three due to an illness and a rib injury.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was originally expected to miss “several weeks” due to an ankle sprain, but just 10 days after sustaining that injury, he has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game against Brooklyn after fully participating in Wednesday’s practice (Twitter links via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). “I’m so happy that it wasn’t as serious as I thought it was going to be,” Barnes said. In other Raptors injury news, starting center Jakob Poeltl is considered day-to-day with a bilateral groin strain and will miss Thursday’s contest.
After missing the Suns‘ past two games with swelling in his right knee, star guard Bradley Beal “did everything” in practice on Wednesday and the team is “hopeful” he’ll be able to play Thursday against Indiana, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer (story via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Beal has been listed as probable to suit up.
Wizards guards Malcolm Brogdon, Kyshawn George, and Corey Kispert aren’t on the injury report for Thursday’s game vs. Charlotte and should be available to play, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Brogdon has been out since December 5 due to a hamstring strain, while both George and Kispert have been recovering from left ankle sprains since Dec. 3.
Magic guard Gary Harris, who has been unavailable since November 25 due to a left hamstring strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Harris has been averaging 17.2 minutes per game in his first 16 outings of the season before suffering that injury in his 17th appearance.

Mavericks Notes: Gafford, Lively, Doncic, Irving, Thompson, Grimes

December 2nd, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have fielded some inquiries regarding Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively but haven’t shown any interest in trading either big man, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports.

However, the Mavericks could be active in the trade market. They could seek potential upgrades by parting with their 2025 first-round pick or their 2031 first-rounder. They could also add a young piece such as Quentin Grimes and Olivier-Maxence Prosper in a trade package, Scotto notes.

Dallas is approximately $5.3MM above the luxury tax but might be able to drop below that figure if it is able to deal Maxi Kleber, Scotto adds. He’ll make $11MM this season, with a matching cap hit for 2025/26.

We have more on the Mavs:

Luka Doncic returned from a wrist injury on Sunday and racked up 36 points and 13 assists against the Trail Blazers. He posted on social media that it was “great” to be back from a five-game absence. Doncic complimented the team on how it performed without him. “Obviously, I think their pace was great. They were playing amazing,” Doncic said, per ESPN News Services. “So, [I was] just trying to adapt to that. They beat some tough teams, and I was just happy to sit back, watch and enjoy.”
Dallas defeated Portland despite having several other starters and rotation players sidelined. Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness), Lively (right knee hyperextension), Klay Thompson (left foot plantar fascia), Naji Marshall (illness) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) all missed the game, the Mavs PR department tweets.
Grimes, who joined Dallas in the offseason trade with Detroit, has been on a hot streak of late. He’s averaged 24.3 points over the last three games. “I’m glad to see my confidence growing,” Grimes told Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “I’m just playing downhill, not overthinking, and focusing on helping on both ends of the floor.” Grimes will be a restricted free agent after the season, as he and the team were unable to reach a rookie scale extension by the October deadline.

International Notes: Kleber, Schofield, Faried, Beverley, Motley

November 29th, 2024 at 9:46am CST by Rory Maher

Speaking to Dirk Sing of German outlet Augsburger Allgemeine, Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber says he has no intention of returning to Germany’s national team going forward.

Kleber, who previously represented his home country in international competitions, including the 2014 EuroBasket and the 2019 World Cup, opted not to play in the 2022 EuroBasket tournament after a deep playoff run with Dallas. Kleber was criticized for that decision by team captain Dennis Schröder, causing the big man to withdraw from consideration for the 2023 World Cup. Schröder later apologized.

Kleber also didn’t participate in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but he says he watched the tournament and still supports the team from afar, even if he will no longer be playing for Deutschland in an official capacity.

“The situation was what it was. That’s why I had to come to terms with it,” Kleber said (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net). “I watched the games as a fan, of course, because it is always positive for German basketball when the national team is successful.

“It’s ultimately about basketball continuing to grow in Germany. And the Olympic Games that everyone can watch on television is a great platform. I know a lot of guys on the team very well or are my friends, it was also great to watch them. … The national team is definitely over for me. So, there will be no return.”

Here are a few more international basketball notes:

Admiral Schofield, who spent four seasons in the NBA before signing with ASVEL Basket over the offseason, has parted ways with the French club in what the team called a mutual agreement, per Askounis of Eurohoops. The 27-year-old forward, who was a second-round pick out of Tennessee in 2019, recently fell out of ASVEL’s rotation, Askounis notes.
Former NBA forward Kenneth Faried has signed with Italy’s Pallacanestro Reggiana, the team announced in a press release. An eight-year veteran who spent seven seasons in Denver, Faried last played in the NBA with Houston during the 2018/19 season. The 35-year-old made previous international stops in China and Russia before returning to North America to play in the G League, having spent the past two seasons with the Mexico City Capitanes.
Longtime NBA veteran Patrick Beverley signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv over the summer, but he says he’s “50-50” on whether he’ll stay with the Israeli club due to family pressures, as BasketNews.com relays.
Former Mavs and Clippers big man Johnathan Motley decided to leave Hapoel Tel Aviv earlier this month due to concerns over his safety. He wound up signing a G League deal while still under contract with Hapoel, but didn’t receive a letter of clearance from FIBA. In a strange twist to an unusual situation, Motley has returned to Hapoel on a two-year contract, the team announced (link via BasketNews).

Texas Notes: Kidd, Mavs, Vassell, Wembanyama

November 10th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Jason Kidd ripped the Mavericks‘ effort following Friday’s last-second loss to Phoenix, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), who says it was the most frustrated he has seen Kidd in his four seasons as Dallas’ head coach.

“For whatever reason, we get off to a slow start,” Kidd said. “It’s got to be addressed. We’ve talked about it. There’s got to be action. There’s got to be some energy. Somebody’s got to come with some f—ing energy. We’re f—ing flat.”

In addition to another slow start, Kidd was also critical of the bench’s performance.

“The fatigue of running Luka (Doncic) and Kai (Kyrie Irving) 40-something minutes because our bench stinks right now,” Kidd said. “As deep as we are, we’ve got to get someone to f—ing participate off the bench. Somebody has to join the party to help Kai and Luka and that’s just not happening right now.

“I played the whole f—ing team tonight. We couldn’t find anybody, so we had to leave (Doncic and Irving) to carry the load and that’s unfair for those two this early in the season.”

Here are a few more notes from the Lone Star State:

The Mavericks will likely be shorthanded again on Sunday in Denver. Star guard Doncic is questionable with a left groin strain, while a trio of big men — P.J. Washington (right knee sprain), Dereck Lively (right shoulder sprain) and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring strain) — are all doubtful, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has yet to miss a game in 2024/25.
Spurs wing Devin Vassell caught fire in his season debut on Saturday, recording 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting in 22 minutes, notes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link). However, the Spurs lost a tight game vs. the Jazz, who entered the game with just one win. “It was good for me to be back out there,” said Vassell, who was on a minutes restriction in his return from offseason foot surgery. “Good for me to be playing with some of these guys. But ultimately I wanted to get that win, so I’m kind of upset about that right now.”
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama had a big night in Saturday’s one-point loss, finishing with 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. The reigning Rookie of the Year, who has opened the season in a shooting slump from long distance, also set a career high with six made three-pointers. Wembanyama became just the second player in NBA history to record six threes and seven blocks in a game, joining Brook Lopez, who accomplished the feat in 2017, according to Wright.

Southwest Notes: Popovich, Johnson, Mavs, Kennard, Jenkins

November 6th, 2024 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

With Gregg Popovich away from the Spurs for health reasons, reporting on Monday indicated that the head coach is “OK” and “just needs rest,” and acting head coach Mitch Johnson later told the media that Popovich is “in good spirits.” Still, Shams Charania of ESPN and Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News suggested on Tuesday that Popovich’s health issue shouldn’t be downplayed.

Appearing on NBA Today (Twitter video link), Charania described the issue as “serious,” explaining that Popovich required medical attention in San Antonio on Saturday and adding that there’s “a great level of concern around the situation,” with no timeline for the coach’s return to the sidelines.

Finger, meanwhile, pointed out (via Twitter) that the Spurs are handling the situation differently this time than they have in the past when Popovich has had health issues that have necessitated short absences, noting that it’s “probably wise not to take a quick return for granted.” The Spurs haven’t yet ruled out Popovich beyond Wednesday’s game in Houston, but will likely provide an update soon, given that the team will be back in action on Thursday vs. Portland.

With Popovich unavailable, the Spurs have turned to Johnson, a rising young assistant who was a finalist in the spring for the Wizards‘ head coaching job that ultimately went to Brian Keefe, according to Charania. Johnson, who has earned praise from his players in San Antonio, was also part of the Team USA staff in Paris over the summer, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News details.

“He is an impressive young coach,” Heat head coach and Team USA assistant Erik Spoelstra said. “You can see why Pop has given him a lot more responsibility as the years have gone on. He is a very effective communicator.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Mavericks‘ injury list continues to grow, with P.J. Washington ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Chicago due to a right knee sprain, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Big man Maxi Kleber will miss a sixth straight game due to his right hamstring strain, while center Dereck Lively is listed as doubtful as a result of a sprained right shoulder.
Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. the Lakers and has a chance to make his season debut after missing Memphis’ first eight games due to a foot injury (Twitter link). Speaking to reporters after the Grizzlies’ shootaround this morning, Kennard said he’ll be a game-time decision and described his “frustrating” recovery process (video link via The Memphis Commercial Appeal).
While Kennard has a chance to make his return on Wednesday, the Grizzlies will be without head coach Taylor Jenkins, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Jenkins will be away from the team due to a death in his family, with Tuomas Iisalo serving as the acting head coach in his absence.

Mavericks Notes: Grimes, Hardy, Kleber, G League

October 27th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks made Quentin Grimes a three-year offer prior to last Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extensions, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Substack link), but the fourth-year wing opted to pass on it in the hopes that he can boost his stock this season by playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the defending Western Conference champions.

According to Stein, Dallas’ extension offer to Grimes was believed to be in the same range as the deal Naji Marshall signed as a free agent in July, which was worth $27MM over three years. Rather than locking in that deal, the 24-year-old will take his chances in restricted free agency next summer.

Grimes, who had a disappointing injury-plagued season in New York and Detroit in 2023/24, hasn’t gotten off to a fast start as a Maverick this fall. Through his first two games, he has scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting and grabbed a pair of rebounds in nearly 21 total minutes of action.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Although Jaden Hardy would have remained eligible to sign a veteran contract extension with the Mavericks anytime up until June 30, 2025, Stein hears that the team “pushed for a resolution” before the season began. Hardy’s new three-year, $18MM deal, which begins in 2025/26, will give the front office a more complete picture of its cap situation going forward as it considers possible moves during the season and leading up to next year’s draft.
Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber sustained a right hamstring injury during the team’s loss to Phoenix on Saturday and is being listed as questionable for Monday’s contest against Utah, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link). If Kleber has to miss any time, it could open up more opportunities at the four for Marshall, with non-rotation big man Dwight Powell a candidate to move up the depth chart.
The Texas Legends – Dallas’ G League affiliate – have announced their training camp roster, per Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban (Twitter link). Jamarion Sharp and Emanuel Miller are among the Legends players who were in NBA camp with the Mavs this fall.

Southwest Notes: Minix, Edey, Pelicans Offense, Kleber

October 15th, 2024 at 10:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Undrafted rookie Riley Minix signed a training camp deal with the Spurs in July. The former Morehead State guard has been so impressive, he’s got a shot to earn one of the team’s two-way spots, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes.

Minix came into Tuesday night’s preseason game against the Heat averaging 7.8 points in 7.8 minutes per game while shooting 57.1% from 3-point range on 2.3 attempts per night. He didn’t get off the bench as the Spurs played their regulars to a great extent.

“He’s a young man that is probably still pinching himself that he is on an NBA team and doing what he is doing because it’s probably not what he expected several years ago,” coach Gregg Popovich said of the 24-year-old, who played four seasons at an NAIA school before joining Morehead State. “But he is a tough young man. He is intelligent. He learns. And he can shoot the basketball. He has become a pleasant surprise.”

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Some people were skeptical of whether former Purdue star center Zach Edey could make a smooth transition to the NBA. Edey, drafted in the lottery by the Grizzlies, put on a show against Indiana on Monday, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal notes. Edey finished with 23 points on 10-for-15 shooting in 19 minutes and had nine rebounds. Edey displayed a sweet hook shot and a variety of low-post moves. “History will likely show that where he was chosen in the draft was low,” opposing head coach Rick Carlisle said of the No. 9 overall pick after the game, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
The Pelicans have ranked among the bottom 10 in the league in three-point attempts during Willie Green‘s first three seasons as head coach. Green is intent on changing that, according to Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. New Orleans averaged 32.6 three-point tries last season. “The message has been pretty clear,” Zion Williamson said. “Get up at least 40 per game. That means we have to play with pace. And just play basketball. In the grand scheme of things, it’s definitely going to be a positive for us.”
The Mavericks are hopeful big man Maxi Kleber will be able to suit up for the regular season opener, according to Dwain Price of Mavs.com. “He got hurt in September – right before camp. He stepped on someone’s foot and sprained his ankle,” coach Jason Kidd said. “But his rehab and everything, he’s doing great. He had a great workout this morning, so he should be, hopefully, ready to go on opening night.”