Lakers Forward Maxi Kleber Nears Season Debut After Abdominal Injury
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LOS ANGELES — Maxi Kleber has been upgraded to questionable for the Los Angeles Lakers’ matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, signaling a potential first appearance of the season for the veteran big man.
The 33-year-old forward, acquired alongside Luka Doncic in a February trade, has yet to play in 2025-26 after suffering an abdominal strain during practice shortly after the preseason finale. The setback followed a quad injury on the opening day of training camp, compounding a series of health issues that began with a broken foot last spring.
“I’m gonna be ready,” Kleber said during Saturday morning shootaround at the UCLA Health Training Center. “Just be prepared, be back out there with the guys and get back in a rhythm and routine.”
Kleber explained that the abdominal injury occurred on a drive to the basket in practice. “Very unfortunate and unlucky,” he noted, adding that he focused on conditioning throughout the recovery process to shorten his absence.
Last season the 6-10 forward was limited to brief minutes in the Lakers’ final playoff game due to the foot fracture. Despite arriving at camp healthy this year, consecutive injuries have kept him sidelined for the club’s first nine regular-season contests.
Head coach JJ Redick is expected to monitor Kleber’s minutes if he is cleared, allowing the stretch big to ease back into game speed. “You try to recreate situations in practice as much as possible,” Kleber said, “but after that it’s just getting back in rhythm, routine and playing for the guys.”
Los Angeles enters Saturday with a 7-2 record, and Kleber’s return would give Redick another floor-spacer in the frontcourt and a player familiar with Doncic’s pick-and-pop game.
Source: LakersNation.com
