Mavs’ Kleber suffers broken foot in loss to Celts

DALLAS — In another major blow to the Dallas Mavericks’ big man depth, power forward/center Maxi Kleber suffered a right foot fracture in Saturday’s 122-107 loss to the Boston Celtics, the team announced.

The Mavs said Kleber will be re-evaluated this week, but sources told ESPN that he will miss an extended period of time.

Kleber suffered the injury in the third quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game after limping to the locker room.

X-rays revealed Kleber’s fracture days after Dallas starting center Dereck Lively II was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right ankle. Lively will be re-evaluated in a month, and sources expect him to be sidelined for two to three months.

Reserve center Dwight Powell has missed the last four games due to a strained hip, meaning that Daniel Gafford is currently the only healthy big man on the roster.

“It’s a hole. It’s tough,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said postgame regarding the rash of injuries to the team’s big men. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and it’s not gonna get any better.”

A source said there is optimism that Powell, a former starter who has averaged only 7.6 minutes per game this season, will be able to return at some point during the Mavs’ five-game road trip that begins on Jan. 29.

The Mavs will evaluate their options to address their lack of center depth, including exploring the trade market, candidates for two-way deals and 10-day contract candidates, according to a source, who added that the front office would be cautious about giving up a significant asset in a deal to fix a temporary problem.