Maxi Kleber, a veteran big man, was thrown into the Luka Doncic trade just over two months ago, and he has been something of an afterthought for Los Angeles Lakers fans ever since. He injured his foot in January and subsequently underwent surgery, and he hasn’t appeared in a game since.
He has been slowly inching toward a possible return, however. Earlier this month, he was cleared to start performing on-court activities, and now, with the start of the 2025 NBA Playoffs just days away, another positive update has arrived.
Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Kleber has begun on-court activity with others, according to head coach JJ Redick.
JJ Redick said Maxi Kleber has begun on-court activity with the group but there is still no timetable for his return.
The Lakers did conditioning and shooting drills today — no live action — and Kleber was a full participant.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 16, 2025
Kleber, who has eight years of NBA experience, has historically been an adept defender and a decent 3-point shooter at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds. But this season, he shot just 26.5% from 3-point range and 38.5% overall.
Even if he’s ready to return to game action soon, he may not get any meaningful playing time, even though the Lakers are very thin at the center position.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Maxi Kleber took another step toward a possible return
Maxi Kleber, a veteran big man, was thrown into the Luka Doncic trade just over two months ago, and he has been something of an afterthought for Los Angeles Lakers fans ever since. He injured his foot in January and subsequently underwent surgery, and he hasn’t appeared in a game since.
He has been slowly inching toward a possible return, however. Earlier this month, he was cleared to start performing on-court activities, and now, with the start of the 2025 NBA Playoffs just days away, another positive update has arrived.
Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Kleber has begun on-court activity with others, according to head coach JJ Redick.
JJ Redick said Maxi Kleber has begun on-court activity with the group but there is still no timetable for his return.
The Lakers did conditioning and shooting drills today — no live action — and Kleber was a full participant.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 16, 2025
Kleber, who has eight years of NBA experience, has historically been an adept defender and a decent 3-point shooter at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds. But this season, he shot just 26.5% from 3-point range and 38.5% overall.
Even if he’s ready to return to game action soon, he may not get any meaningful playing time, even though the Lakers are very thin at the center position.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Maxi Kleber took another step toward a possible return
