As the Los Angeles Lakers steamrolled the Sacramento Kings Sunday night, fans quickly noticed a veteran who stayed ready so he didn’t have to get ready. Maxi Kleber answered the call in a modest 13 minutes, with teammates and coaches praising his impact amid an otherwise inconsistent campaign.
‘Unselfish and Selfless’ Lakers Center Making Case to Stick Around
Maxi-mum Effort
The 34-year-old big man recorded six points, six rebounds and a block against Sacramento—including a pair of poster dunks and a brick-wall defensive play that led to a brief confrontation with ex-Laker Malik Monk.
Maxi Kleber we were not familiar with your game, sir. 😳
(via @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/nxByc49EtZ
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) March 2, 2026
Brief opportunities have primarily defined Kleber’s ninth season, from DNPs and garbage time to becoming the backup five after Deandre Ayton’s injury. His numbers don’t jump off the page—2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds across 34 games—but he’s been a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Fully healthy after undergoing foot surgery last year, Kleber has given the Lakers much-needed physicality in spurts, crashing the glass, protecting the paint and, once in a while, spacing the floor.
In a postgame interview Sunday, Kleber outlined his role on both ends:
“I just focus on staying ready, being ready. On the defensive side, making sure I communicate to the guys, make the right decisions on the switches, on the screen calls. On the offensive side, setting good screens, getting my teammates open, because I know if I do that, I might get a dish here and there.”
Redick: Kleber ‘Plays Winning Basketball’
Head coach JJ Redick, along with teammates Rui Hachimura and Luka Doncic, made sure to give Kleber his flowers, emphasizing how his energy rubs off on the rest of the team. Redick—who was Kleber’s former teammate in Dallas—told reporters:
“It’s easy to root for his success. … Because of when he started his NBA career and some of these injuries, he’s not the same that he was when he was at his peak in Dallas. I thought he was one of the most impactful and versatile defenders in the NBA. But he just plays winning basketball. Very unselfish and selfless.”
While the performance may not be enough to crack Redick’s rotation going forward, Kleber has shown he can be an effective “break glass in case of emergency” option among the Lakers’ bigs.
Lakers Should Re-Sign Kleber
Regardless of how the rest of the year shakes out, Kleber has given the Lakers reasons to keep him around after his $11 million salary expires this summer. Despite approaching his age-35 season, it would not hurt to bring him back on a minimum deal as insurance in the frontcourt, particularly if the center rotation keeps taking hits with injuries and foul trouble.
The team has a history of employing locker room vets who can make an impact in limited minutes. Kleber has filled that role to a tee so far, and there’s little reason to switch that up next season.
© William Navarro-Imagn Images
