Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mavs, Maxi Kleber Finalizing 3-Year Contract Extension
The Dallas Mavericks received major contributions from Maxi Kleber during their run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals. He's being rewarded for his impact in the form of a new contract to prevent him from reaching free agency next summer.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Mavericks and Kleber are finalizing a three-year, $33 million contract extension. He will now be signed through 2025-26.
Kleber is set to earn $9 million during the 2022-23 season and is entering the final year of his current contract. His salary for the upcoming season was originally slotted as non-guaranteed, but the Mavericks opted to fully guarantee his compensation.
While Kleber's post-All-Star break production struggled significantly — dropping his overall 3-point percentage to 32.5 percent on the season — he proved to be a pivotal contributor by getting hot from deep come playoff time.
During the Mavericks' run to the Western Conference Finals, Kleber averaged 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the arc. The peak of his contributions came in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Utah Jazz with 25 points on 8-11 shooting from deep. He followed that up with 17 points in Game 3.
The value of what Kleber provides goes well beyond the box score. He is capable of guarding multiple positions effectively and stretches the defense with his shooting ability, which makes him an ideal small ball center option in today's NBA.
The Mavericks often were able to make the defense uncomfortable with playing their traditional center by having Kleber fully space out off the ball, or set a ball screen for a pick-and-pop sequence. If the opposition's on-ball defenders weren't guarding effectively, it was a disaster.
Luka Doncic is at his best come playoff time when he has a fully spaced out unit. The opponent switches everything against him and often deploys a hard hedge and recover technique in ball screen coverage. Having that spacing makes the defense pay heavily for overloading the strong side and double-teaming.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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