Didn’t play a game and got injured! What is Kleber’s future with the Lakers?

The NBA regular season has begun, but Kleber’s regular season may still take some time.

On the first day of the new season, the Lakers lost to the Warriors 109-119. Before the start of the game, famous reporter Michael Scotto reported that Lakers forward Maxi Kleber will not play in the opening game due to an oblique strain. He will be reviewed in about two weeks.

Not long after the start of this year's training camp, Kleber suffered a mild quadriceps strain. He rested for half a month and then returned in the last game of the preseason. As a result, Kleber was injured again at the beginning of the regular season.

Since joining the Lakers, Kleber has played 0 games in the regular season (one game each in the preseason and playoffs). However, his annual salary is as high as 11 million, which is higher than Ayton, Laravia, Smart and others.

Moreover, judging from his performance before joining the Lakers, Kleber's performance can be said to be very worrying: before being traded in the 2024-25 season, Kleber played a total of 34 games for the Mavericks, averaging only 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, shooting 38.5% from the field, 26.5% from three-point range, and only 48.9% true shooting.

In the first two seasons, Kleber’s performance was actually not very good:

——In the 2023-24 season, he only played 43 regular season games, averaging 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, shooting 43.2% from the field and 34.8% from the three-point range

——2022- In the 23rd season, he only played a total of 37 regular season games, averaging 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, shooting 45.6% from the field, and 34.8% from the three-point range.

In these two seasons, Kleber not only had a poor attendance rate, but also did not meet expectations in the games he played. He did not reflect his shooting advantage at all, and his performance was definitely not at the tens of millions level.

Then the question arises, how did Kleber get an annual salary of tens of millions?

There are two main breaking points. One is that in the 2020-21 season, Kleber shot 41.0% of three-pointers in the regular season. At that time, it was thought that he could serve as a good high-altitude fort next to Doncic.

The second is in the 2022 playoffs. This year's regular season, Kleber's performance declined, but in the playoffs and the Mavericks' trip to the Western Conference Finals, Kleber's three-point shooting rate reached 42.9%.

Objectively speaking, Kleber actually has something good in 2022. His three-point shooting is indeed excellent, and it is reasonable to finally get a three-year contract extension of 33 million yuan-always better than Hardaway, Dinwiddie, and Bertans. The annual salary of these three is close to or exceeds 20 million.

After signing a big contract in 2022, Kleber continued to suffer injuries. The fracture of his right foot had the greatest impact. Because of this injury, he kept playing in and out, which also affected his feel.

Kleber is 2.08 meters tall. As an inside line, his ability to protect the frame is not very good. His biggest selling point is his ability to shoot. He once defeated the Lakers at the buzzer during the Mavericks period. Once this advantage is lost, his role will be seriously reduced.

Regarding Kleber's future with the Lakers, I personally think there are three possibilities:

- The most ideal possibility: After returning, Kleber can regain his touch, so that he can become a completely different inside man from Ayton and Hayes, and can help Doncic, James, and Reeves open up space

- The worst possibility: Kleber has been unable to come back for a long time. After his release, his attendance rate and condition were very poor, his shooting level did not return, he completely fell out of the rotation, and faded out of the NBA at the end of the season

- The most likely possibility: Kleber's performance was mediocre after his return. Since it was a contract year and he had an annual salary of tens of millions, he was sent away by the Lakers before the trade deadline. The one most likely to be sent away with him is Knecht. The latter, like Kleber, will basically not be able to escape as long as there are trade rumors during the offseason.

For the Lakers, spending tens of millions of annual salary to support Kleber is indeed a bit of a headache, but objectively speaking, when they originally accepted Kleber, they should have thought that this would be a premium or even a garbage contract.

The content of the transaction at the time: The Lakers sent Big Eyebrow, Christie, and a first-round pick to get Doncic, Kleber, and Morris. Big Eyebrow and Doncic are the main players. In order to complete the deal, the Lakers sent away the young and rising Christie and swallowed Morris and Kleber.

How to put it, look at Kleber, it does give a headache, but from another perspective, without Kleber, the Lakers may not be able to get Doncic. I hope that after returning in the new season, Kleber can set a small goal and squeeze into the rotation, not only to help the Lakers achieve better results, but also for his next contract.