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Just as it looked like the Dallas Mavericks‘ season was finally kicking into high gear, disaster struck in the form of an injury. After tearing his hamstring in practice last week, Maxi Kleber is expected to miss significant time recovering.
Kleber is one of Dallas’ better defenders and his absence from the lineup will likely be felt on that end of the floor. And according to Dalton Trigg of si.com, the Mavericks should take a look at replacing Kleber with Pacers big man Myles Turner.
“Even before Maxi Kleber went down with a torn hamstring, the Dallas Mavericks could’ve used a versatile defensive anchor like Indiana Pacers big man and DFW native Myles Turner. Now, with Kleber set to miss at least six-to-eight weeks? They could use Turner’s services more than ever.”
Turner is in the final year of his contract with the Pacers, meaning any team that trades for him is also taking a huge risk that he’ll stick around after this summer. Fortunately for Dallas, Turner has expressed some admiration for the Mavericks recently.
Turner: Doncic ‘Definitely Up There’ With NBA Elite
Over the summer, Turner sat down with Bri Amaranthus of DallasBasketball.com to discuss his efforts to give back to the Dallas-Fort Worth community, where he was born and raised.
The former Texas Longhorn chatted up the “hoops culture” developing in the DFW as well as, of course, Luka Doncic.
“Oh, [Luka’s] definitely up there,” Turner said when asked about Doncic’s standing among the NBA’s elite. “The way he sees the game, the way he’s able to get everyone involved, the swag he plays with — he embodies — is rare. Especially as young as he is. He came into this league really killing it from the jump.
Turner hasn’t always been the happiest camper in Indiana, so hearing him preach the King Luka Gospel is surely a welcome sign for the Mavericks’ front office. And certainly, Dallas could use Turner’s 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game this season. Though some Mavericks fans might be weary of the team trading for yet another center, given the club’s not-so-recent history on the subject.
Dallas’ Ongoing Battle At Center
Finding the right big man to pair along with Doncic has proven a rather difficult task for the Dallas Mavericks. First, the team tried to pair Doncic with former All-Star Kristaps Porzingis. That experiment fizzled out ahead of last season’s trade deadline, with the Mavs shipping Porzingis off to the Wizards in a deal that brought back Spencer Dinwiddie.
And over the summer, Dallas added both Christian Wood and JaVale McGee to a roster that already included Dwight Powell and Kleber as options at the five. While McGee was slated to be the starter, his lackluster performance saw McGee lose his spot to Powell. McGee admitted frustration and confusion over the demotion last month.
“I don’t really have an understanding of when my minutes will come, but I’m a professional, so whatever my team feels we need to win.”
Dallas could do well to package its assets at the five together to bring back a piece the club knows will help in an expected playoff push. While Myles Turner might command a return the Mavs can’t quite pull off, it shouldn’t limit the club from looking closely into the market at other options, including Nerlens Noel.
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