Mavericks' seemingly inevitable Maxi Kleber trade just found the perfect partner

After beating the Los Angeles Lakers 118-97 in blowout fashion on Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks officially ended their five-game losing skid. A combination of injuries to their superstars and illnesses to role players have caused Jason Kidd to retool the team's rotation, which finally paid off against the Lakers.

The team finally had a performance where they put it all together on both ends of the court. On the offensive end, the Mavericks shot 47.4 percent from behind the arc as a team, and on the defensive end, they limited the Lakers to one of their worst nights this season as they shot 31.4 percent from behind the 3-point line.

A combination of poor shooting and great defense caused the Mavericks to get out to a massive second-half run, which they never let go. Despite the upbeat vibe in Dallas after their recent win, it's clear the team still needs to make a trade to compete against the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Western Conference crown.

One clear candidate among fans seems to have always been on the chopping block after the team's recent need for a backup forward, and the Mavericks may have the perfect suitor with the Atlanta Hawks.

Mavericks would solve major issue by trading Kleber for Nance Jr.

It has long been rumored that Maxi Kleber would be one of the few Mavericks on the trading block this season. To make matters worse for Kleber, he has gotten off to a career-bad start in multiple categories resulting in one of the biggest holes on Dallas' roster. His struggles combined with how tradeable his $11 million annual contract is make it seem almost guaranteed that Dallas trades him this year, and the Mavs may have an outstanding opportunity to upgrade by sending him elsewhere.

In a recent article by Michael Scotto of "Hoops Hype," he listed every NBA team's most likely "trade candidates" ahead of the trade deadline. Scotto listed the Mavericks' most likely trade candidate as Maxi Kleber, along with some intel that teams around the league have called about trading for Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, but Dallas hasn't shown interest in moving them.

In addition to Dallas' biggest trade candidate, Scotto listed the Hawks as a team that would need to trade away one of its big men in Larry Nance Jr. and Clint Capela. Nance has proven to be a fringe rotational piece at best in Atlanta, while Capela has seemed to be a former shell of himself this season.

With the Mavericks' biggest needs being depth at the power forward spot, Atlanta may not be a bad destination to send Kleber in return for an athletic rim-running forward in Nance. To make things sweeter. Nance Jr. may be the perfect forward off the bench to pair with Luka Doncic and his incredible playmaking.

While Nance Jr. has struggled to see the floor in Atlanta, he has proven to be a hardened veteran who can plug and play in almost every scenario. Before he injured his hand, the 32-year-old big was coming off the bench for Atlanta in an extended role as they struggle to maintain health.

While on the floor, Nance Jr. has averaged 9.5 points per game while shooting 52 percent from behind the arc, which has only made the 10-year pro more enticing for a team like Dallas. Pairing Nance Jr.'s elite athleticism with a guard duo such as Kyrie Irving and Doncic may prove to be a deadly combo for defenders.

In addition to Nance Jr.'s offensive upside, his defense has proven to be a staple since joining the league in 2015. Nance Jr. has always been a good weak-side shot blocker with his athleticism and lengthy wingspan.

While Nance Jr. may seem like the full package, there have yet to be any rumors with legit credibility to connect Dallas and Atlanta for a potential deal. Despite this, it's obvious Nance Jr. would be a step in the right direction if the Mavericks have championship aspirations this season. The finances for a trade involving Kleber and Nance Jr. would also nearly match up perfectly, and this is the type of move Nico Harrison should consider over the next month or so.