Not much has been said about the other pieces the Los Angeles Lakers acquired in the blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic is the big prize, but the team also acquired Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber in the deal.
Morris is a familiar face, having been with the Lakers during the 2020 Championship run. But Kleber is a floor-spacing big who could potentially provide a different look for the team. Unfortunately, it won’t be any time soon as he recently underwent surgery to fix his broken foot.
At the Lakers’ introductory press conference introducing the newest members of the team, Kleber provided an update on his recovery timeframe.
“The latest is I just had surgery,” Kleber said. “I’m gonna be re-evaluated in eight weeks and then go from there.”
Eight weeks from now the regular season will be winding down and being re-evaluated does not mean Kleber will be fully recovered and ready to return. As such, it would be reasonable to expect that Kleber’s debut in a Lakers uniform won’t come until next season unless the Lakers make a deep playoff run.
The Lakers could certainly use the depth up front as they are extremely thin at the center position. Jaxson Hayes is the only true big under a standard contract, with Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison being the only backups and both are on two-way contracts. But foot injuries are always dangerous, especially with taller players so Kleber must take his time and ensure everything is 100% healthy before trying to get back on the court.
In the meantime, he will surely be working closely with the Lakers staff to make sure his recovery goes as smooth as possible and when he is ready, he will be in that purple and gold uniform looking to help the Lakers raise another championship banner.
Rob Pelinka knows Lakers need center
The Lakers front office also knows that the team is thin up front and are exploring the market for bigs ahead of the trade deadline, even though general manager Rob Pelinka described the market as ‘dry.’
Regardless, the Lakers have reportedly had discussions with the Houston Rockets about veteran big man Steven Adams, a true physical presence, but the two sides are reportedly far apart on a possible deal. The Lakers are also interested in Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams who is an elite rim protector and rebounder, but also comes with some injury concerns.
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