Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder

The OKC Thunder and Dallas Mavericks are not true trade partners after draft night.

Please hold your tomatoes until the end; do not fling them on stage at the sight of Maxi Kleber. The bottom line is there is no great option from the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are likely not going to demand a trade this season, Seth Curry and Grant Williams were fixtures of the Mavs offseason moves and likely will not be flipped, and taking a flyer on Richaun Holmes or Markieff Morris is not very appealing.

So that brought the list down to three names: Jaden Hardy, Maxi Kleber, and Dante Exum. Despite my love for Olivier-Maxence Prosper’s game, I could not justify selling you on the idea the Mavericks would part with one of their first-round rookies.

Ultimately, Jaden Hardy gets scrubbed from the list due to his importance to the Mavericks and the guard depth in OKC. Hardy and Josh Green should play significant roles for Jason Kidd’s squads, and they will not be parted with easily. That young duo represents some of the Mavericks’ best trade chips and rotational pieces.

So now the list is down to Dante Exum and Maxi Kleber. While watching Exum play with Josh Giddey for Team Australia was fun, I ultimately sided with Maxi Kleber due to his size and three-point shooting.

However, Sam Presti will likely say, “We have Kleber at home,” while pointing to Davis Bertans, who the Thunder acquired from the Mavericks on draft night.

There just is not a trade to work out here for the Mavericks and Thunder.

Target: Maxi Kleber.