Fans didn't think much about Maxi Kleber (if at all) when the Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in January. They were busy experiencing a million emotions at once and recovering from the shock of Luka Dončić being on their favorite team.
Kleber didn't make his Lakers debut until their final game of the season, a Game 5 loss to the Timberwolves, and now, he's dealing with another injury. On Tuesday, he "tweaked" his quad and missed practice on Wednesday. JJ Redick revealed that Kleber would undergo an MRI, adding that he hoped it wouldn't be anything serious.
Gabe Vincent (knee) practiced Wednesday but a new name was added to the injury report for the Lakers. Maxi Kleber tweaked his quad Tuesday, sat out practice Wednesday and will require a MRI, according to coach JJ Redick. "Hopefully it's nothing serious," Redick said.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 1, 2025
On Monday at media day, Kleber said that he was "fully healthy" after missing all but five minutes of one game last season due to a foot injury. It's unfortunate for him that he's dealing with a setback, but on a similar note to what Redick said, hopefully it's nothing that will keep him sidelined for long.
Maxi Kleber tweaked his quad on Tuesday, set to have an MRI
Fans were looking forward to seeing what Kleber still had left in the tank as the backup center with the Lakers this season, and now it seems that'll be on hold. The Lakers are already thin at center, and Deandre Ayton is a question mark. This isn't the kind of news LA was hoping to receive before the season even starts.
Kleber spent the first seven and a half seasons of his career in Dallas. During his last two full seasons with the team, he played 43 games (2023-24) and 37 games (2022-23), due to injuries ranging from a torn hamstring to a dislocated shoulder. As shocking as the decision to trade Luka was for Dallas, it wasn't surprising that the team included Kleber, given his setbacks.
Lakers reporter Jovan Buha said over the offseason that Kleber (and Gabe Vincent) had "slightly negative to just negative value" on the trade market. Kleber is entering the final season of his current contract and will make $11 million. If that was his value on the market this summer, it's not going to get any better with the latest injury news.
Fingers crossed that the MRI doesn't reveal anything serious and that Kleber will be able to play a consistent role with the Lakers.