The Los Angeles Lakers are almost entirely healthy going into the playoffs with the lone exception being big man Maxi Kleber. Joining the Lakers as part of the Luka Doncic trade, Kleber has yet to actually debut in purple and gold as he recovers from foot surgery that he underwent in January.
It remains unclear if Kleber will recover in time to play in the postseason, but he is taking steps in the right direction. Lakers coach JJ Redick revealed that Kleber took part in the Lakers’ practice on Tuesday, however there is no update as far as when Kleber could return.
“He’s back on the court doing on-court activities, but no timeline,” Redick said after Lakers practice on Tuesday.
In fact Redick, called Kleber a “full participant” but clarified that the practice featured no live drills and was focused primarily on shooting and running.
Even still, it was nice to see Kleber on the court and his shooting touch looked excellent as he got some shots up after practice.
Maxi Kleber getting some shots up after #Lakers practice. pic.twitter.com/m8ddP7nrwh
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) April 16, 2025
One of the Lakers’ main issues in terms of their roster is the lack of overall size. While he isn’t the most physical big man, Kleber could at least give the Lakers another option up front with a different skill set as he is primarily a floor stretcher on offense. Lakers fans know this quite well as Kleber infamously knocked down a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to help the Mavericks steal a game in L.A. last season.
Even if he doesn’t return this season, Kleber could be a valuable piece for the purple and gold next year as a rotational big who can shoot and provide a little rim protection on defense. His familiarity with Doncic should only help ease his transition into his new team and allow him to make an immediate impact once he is cleared.
Mavericks’ Nico Harrison has ‘no regrets’ trading Luka Doncic to Lakers
Maxi Kleber was involved in the deal, but of course the prize in that February trade was Luka Doncic and it still feels unbelievable to many that the Lakers actually acquired the superstar guard. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has come under a lot of fire in the months since, but he continues to stand tall on his decision.
With the Mavericks set to take part in the Play-In Tournament, Harrison spoke to the media and said he has “no regrets” about trading Doncic to the Lakers. Harrison added that even though the move is unpopular, it is his job to do what is best for the Mavericks and he feels he did that by embracing the idea that defense wins championships.
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