Much has been made of the Los Angeles Lakers’ center position and whether they have enough size with the signing of Deandre Ayton and return of Jaxson Hayes. One forgotten piece of the big man rotation, however, is Maxi Kleber.
Acquired as part of the Luka Doncic trade, Kleber spent all of his time with the Lakers last season recovering from foot surgery, only being activated in the final game of the playoffs, a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in which he scored two points.
But Kleber has been spending the offseason getting himself back into shape and preparing himself for his first full season in the purple and gold. And in a recent post on Instagram, Kleber showed off his athleticism with an impressive windmill dunk:
Late to this, but Maxi Kleber is looking healthy… pic.twitter.com/0fax5u6iUy
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) August 11, 2025
It is certainly great to see Kleber moving well as he gives the Lakers a different look in the frontcourt. He is by no means a banger down low, but his ability to stretch the floor from the center position could be crucial for the team and he has undoubtedly built up some chemistry with Doncic over their years together in Dallas. He is also a decent weak-side rim-protector, so he should be able to provide at least a little help defensively as well.
It’s easy to forget about Kleber as he didn’t suit up until the Lakers’ final game of the year and many would prefer to forget about that contest which ended the season. But he very well could be part of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation this season and will likely be motivated to have a big year after having last year ruined due to injury. He is also in the final year of his contract so showing out in a contract year could be a motivating factor as well.
What is important is that Kleber is healthy and ready to make an impact for this Lakers team this season and he very well may turn some heads in training camp and the season once it begins.
Lakers to host Golden State Warriors on Opening Night
While the preseason will give a preview of what the Lakers’ rotation could look like, and whether Maxi Kleber will be part of it, the first game that counts will take place on NBA Opening Night as they host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
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