Lakers' Maxi Kleber Mentioned in Trade Speculation; Might Former Mav Be On The Move Again originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Los Angeles Lakers power forward Maxi Kleber might be close to being involved in another trade by his new team.
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Kleber spent eight seasons in Dallas, and during that time he became a Mavericks' fan favorite. However, he was included in one of the biggest trades in NBA history at midseason. That was the deal that sent superstar Luka Dončić to the Lakers in return for Anthony Davis.
At the time of the trade, Kleber was sidelined by a broken foot suffered in late January, and he played just five minutes for the Lakers before re-injuring himself.
Due to salary cap restrictions, those five minutes might be all Kleber ends up wearing the purple and gold. After the season and before free agency, numerous analysts and writers identified Kleber as one of the most likely to be traded players on the Lakers roster because of his contract, which expires after this season.
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Those two realities launched a wave of speculation online this week after the Lakers agreed to terms with guard Marcus Smart following his buyout with the Washington Wizards. To make room for the deal, Los Angeles needed to clear cap space.
Their first move was to release point guard Shake Milton, which freed about $3 million. But that wasn’t enough.
Much of the subsequent online chatter focused on how the Lakers could trade Dalton Knecht and another player on an expiring contract to get a single, more affordable option back. Kleber fit the bill for such an expiring contract player. However, the Lakers chose a simpler route. They released guard Jordan Goodwin to free up the remaining space and finalize the signing of Smart.
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Kleber has long been regarded as a valuable role player and depth piece, known for his versatility as a big man with the ability to shoot from the perimeter. Now, Kleber hopes to make an impact in Los Angeles with Doncic. But injury concerns remain: Over the past three seasons, he has not played more than 43 games. He hasn't played in 60 or more games since the 2019-20 season. That is the last thing the Lakers can afford after spending nearly all of their cap space to acquire Smart.
To avoid finding himself involved in another trade, Kleber will need to stay healthy, contribute consistently and be available to help the Lakers in their pursuit of a championship.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.