Lakers forward Maxi Kleber to miss start of season with oblique strain
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The Los Angeles Lakers announced that forward Maxi Kleber has been diagnosed with a strained oblique and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks, sidelining him for at least the team’s first eight regular-season games.
Kleber, 32, arrived from the Dallas Mavericks in February as part of the Luka Doncic trade package but has struggled to stay on the court. He fractured his foot in January, did not appear for the Lakers until the playoffs, and logged only one preseason outing this fall because of a quadriceps issue before suffering the current injury.
When available, the German big man has been a reliable rotation player, averaging between 21 and 27 minutes per game with Dallas from 2018 through 2022. Injuries, however, have been persistent; since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, Kleber has missed 132 regular-season contests while appearing in 114.
With Kleber, LeBron James, and Adou Thiero all unavailable to open the season, head coach Darvin Ham is expected to rely heavily on Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt in the frontcourt. Two-way center Christian Koloko could also see early minutes.
Source: Hoops Wire
