Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Gets five minutes in closeout game
Rotowire
Kleber (foot) recorded two points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT) across five minutes Wednesday in the Lakers' 103-96 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the first-round playoff series.
After completing his recovery from right foot surgery he underwent in late January, Kleber was cleared to make his Lakers debut in an elimination game. He ended up supplanting Jaxson Hayes in the rotation but still held a minimal role while the Lakers continued to favor small-ball lineups primarily featuring Dorian Finney-Smith at center. The 33-year-old will head into the offseason healthy and could make a case for a larger role off the Los Angeles bench in 2025-26, when he'll be entering the final season of the three-year, $33 million contract extension he signed with Dallas in September 2022.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Cleared to play in Game 5
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Kleber (foot) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Kleber will make his debut for the Lakers on Wednesday after missing the last 43 games while recovering from surgery on his right foot. It remains to be seen whether Kleber will play a significant role in this pivotal Game 5, as it could potentially be the last game of the season for Los Angeles, with JJ Redick's squad facing elimination down 3-1. Before being moved ahead of the NBA trade deadline in the Luka Doncic trade, Kleber played in 34 games for the Mavericks, averaging 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 38.5 percent from the floor and 26.5 percent from beyond the arc.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Questionable for Game 5
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Kleber (foot) is questionable for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Timberwolves, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Kleber has yet to suit up for the Lakers after undergoing surgery on his right foot Jan. 30, though he could make his debut in Wednesday's win-or-go-home matchup. Jaxson Hayes has started all four outings during the first round but is averaging only 7.5 minutes per game, meaning Kleber could take on some responsibility at center if he's cleared to play,
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Out for Game 4
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Kleber (foot) is out for Game 4 against the Timberwolves on Sunday.
The big man has yet to feature in the playoffs, and it's uncertain if he'll be able to suit up at any point during the postseason. Even if he ends up being available, he should operate as a backup in the frontcourt behind Jaxson Hayes. His next chance to play will come in Game 5 on Wednesday.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Remains out for Game 3
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Kleber (foot) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Timberwolves.
Kleber continues to work his way back from surgery on his right foot, which means he'll be sidelined once again Friday. There remains no timeline for his return to the floor to make his debut with the Lakers, as he could very well not play another game until the start of next season.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Remaining out for Game 2
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Kleber (foot) has been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 2 against the Timberwolves, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Kleber has been sidelined since Jan. 25 while recovering from surgery on his right foot, which he underwent Jan. 30. The big man has been cleared to participate in practices, though there's still no timetable for his return to game action. Kleber's next chance to play in the Western Conference quarterfinals against the Timberwolves will come Friday.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Won't play in series opener
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Kleber (foot) is out for Game 1 against the Timberwolves on Saturday.
Kleber hasn't played since Jan. 25 while recovering from surgery on his right foot, which he underwent Jan. 30. While he has been taking part in practices recently, he doesn't have a timetable to return to action. His next chance to suit up will come in Game 2 of the series on Tuesday.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Active during Tuesday's practice
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Kleber (foot) participated in Tuesday's practice, though there's still no clear timetable for his return to game action, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.
Kleber hasn't played since Jan. 25 while recovering from surgery on his right foot, which he underwent on Jan. 30. The big man has been doing more on-court work recently, but there's still no official timetable for his return ahead of Saturday's Game 1 against the Timberwolves. It's unclear whether Kleber will play a role in the Lakers' rotation whenever he returns, as he has yet to suit up for Los Angeles since the club acquired him in a trade with the Mavericks.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Ruled out for Friday
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Kleber (foot) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Rockets, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.
Kleber has yet to suit up for the Lakers while recovering from surgery on his right foot that he underwent on Jan. 30. However, the Lakers announced Thursday that the big man has returned to on-court activities, per Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com, which is a positive sign ahead of the playoffs. Kleber's last chance to suit up during the regular season will come Sunday against Portland.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Progresses to on-court work
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The Lakers announced Thursday that Kleber has progressed to on-court activities, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Kleber underwent right foot surgery on Jan. 30, and he was given an uncertain timetable for his return to the floor. The Lakers newcomer appears to be getting closer to being cleared to play, but it remains unclear if he'll make his debut with Los Angeles this season.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: Re-evaluated in eight weeks
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The Mavericks announced Tuesday that Kleber will have his surgically repaired right foot re-evaluated in eight weeks, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Kleber recently went down with a right foot fracture while with the Mavericks, which resulted in needing surgery. There seems to be a decent chance that the veteran big man could miss the rest of the season, but the Lakers might hope he can return for the playoffs.
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Lakers' Maxi Kleber: L.A.-bound in blockbuster trade
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The Lakers acquired Kleber, Luka Doncic (calf) and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks on Saturday in exchange for Anthony Davis (abdomen), Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The Jazz will also receive Jalen Hood-Schifino (hamstring) and two 2025 second-round picks to help facilitate the blockbuster trade centered around Doncic and Davis. Kleber's involvement in the trade was mostly to match salaries, as he could miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair a fractured right foot. A clearer return date for Kleber should emerge once he's further along in his recovery, but even if he makes a late-season or playoff return, he's unlikely to be a major part of the Los Angeles rotation. Before fracturing his foot Jan. 25, Kleber appeared in 34 games for Dallas and averaged 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18.7 minutes per contest.
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber: Undergoes foot surgery
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The Mavericks announced Thursday that Kleber underwent surgery to repair a right foot fracture. He remains out indefinitely, and further updates on his status will be provided when appropriate.
Kleber fractured his foot in a Jan. 25 loss to the Celtics. Though the Mavericks aren't provided a timeline for his return, the fact that he required surgery to address the injury suggests that he'll be sidelined for multiple months, potentially resulting him missing the rest of the regular season. With Dereck Lively (ankle) also out indefinitely, the Mavericks will continue to rely heavily on Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington in the frontcourt.
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber: Out indefinitely with broken foot
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Kleber was diagnosed Saturday with a broken right foot and will miss an extended period of time, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The Mavericks have suffered two major losses to their frontcourt in the past week, as Dereck Lively was diagnosed Wednesday with a right ankle stress fracture that will likely keep him out 2-to-3 months. Kleber could face a similar lengthy recovery timeline, which could be extended further if he needs surgery to address the foot fracture. While Lively and Kleber are sidelined for the foreseeable future, Daniel Gafford should continue to see heavy minutes as Dallas' starting center, and Dwight Powell (hip) could have a regular spot in the rotation as Gafford's backup, once healthy.
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber: Won't return Saturday due to injury
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Kleber has been ruled out for the rest of Saturday's game against the Celtics due to a right ankle injury, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Kleber exited at the 4:18 mark of the third quarter due to the injury, which was serious enough to keep him sidelined for the remainder of the game. He'll finish the contest with one point (0-6 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), one rebound, one assist and one block over 11 minutes. The Mavericks will have an update on the severity of Kleber's injury prior to their next game Monday versus the Wizards.
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber: Reverts to second unit Tuesday
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Kleber is coming off the bench in Tuesday's game against the Lakers.
The Mavericks will opt to deploy a smaller starting lineup Tuesday after going with a big first unit against Memphis' towering frontcourt Monday. Spencer Dinwiddie will take Kleber's spot in the first unit against the Lakers. Over 20 games as a reserve in 2024-25, Kleber has averaged 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 points and 0.8 assists in 18.9 minutes, so he's not worthy of much fantasy attention.
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber: Cleared to play against Cleveland
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Kleber (oblique) has been cleared to play against the Cavaliers, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Kleber is available to help the Mavericks on Friday as the team takes on the Cavaliers in Dallas. He has had some rough performances lately, scoring only five points combined over the last three games after dropping 15 points against the Suns last Saturday.
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber: Questionable for Friday
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Kleber is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Cavaliers.
Kleber is in jeopardy of missing his first game in over two weeks due to the oblique injury. If the big man is sidelined, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Dwight Powell are candidates for a slight bump in minutes.
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber: Starting Saturday
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Kleber is in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Trail Blazers, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The Mavericks will be without Dereck Lively (hip), P.J. Washington (suspension) and Naji Marshall (suspension), so the lack of depth in the frontcourt will translate to Kleber getting the start. Kleber will be making his first start since Nov. 16.
Kleber posted 15 points (5-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, two assists and one steal in 26 minutes off the bench during Friday's 98-89 win over the Suns.
With Dereck Lively (hip) unavailable, Kleber stepped into a bigger role and delivered a season scoring high while tying his season high in rebounds. The veteran center had managed just nine total points in his prior four contests, however, and with Lively not expected to be sidelined for long, Kleber's surge of fantasy relevance is likely to be brief.
