Maxi Kleber cleared for on-court activities, will continue ‘return-to-play’ process
The Lakers could potentially welcome back big man Maxi Kleber as he was cleared for on-court activities on Thursday.
After being out since joining the Lakers, Maxi Kleber is on set for a return for the Lakers. On Thursday, the team announced that he would begin doing work on the court, though no timetable was given.
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Maxi Kleber has progressed to on-court activities after undergoing right foot surgery Jan. 30.
Kleber will continue his return-to-play process and further updates will be provided as appropriate.
Kleber suffered a broken foot with the Mavericks on Jan. 25. About a week later — and after a surgery on the foot — he was dealt to the Lakers alongside Luka Dončić. Upon his arrival, Kleber noted that he would be re-evaluated in eight weeks, which aligns with Thursday’s update.
In theory, Kleber would be a solid fit and provide the Lakers something they don’t have in a stretch big man. Their desire to play a five-out style would fit perfectly with Kleber’s skill set.
However, it seems pretty unlikely he’s going to play any meaningful role with the team this season. There is just over a week remaining in the season and it’s safe to say that Kleber is not going to be ready in time to play in those games.
Even if he can make progress before the postseason starts, integrating a player into the rotation in the biggest games of the year is a challenging proposition that the Lakers may opt not to even try.
There was a similar situation last season when Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt were active in the postseason but did not feature.
Still, if he’s able to be get back to full cleared and healthy, there are worse “break glass in case of emergency” options to have.
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