The 2024-25 NBA playoffs begin this weekend, and the Los Angeles Lakers already know who their opening-round opponents will be. As the No. 3 seed, the Lakers will take on the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in a first-round series that begins with Game 1 at crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
Even though the Lakers are the higher seed in this series, the Timberwolves shouldn't be underestimated while boasting the likes of Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle. Los Angeles head coach JJ Redick needs all hands on deck to succeed in Round 1, which means getting everyone as healthy as possible before Saturday.
With that in mind, the Lakers just received some encouraging injury news regarding a banged-up veteran.
Lakers News: Maxi Kleber Fully Participates in Practice, No Return Timetable
Lakers fans have been waiting for Maxi Kleber to make his L.A. debut since February. The 6-foot-10 big man was acquired alongside Luka Doncic in the pre-deadline deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, however, Kleber hasn't played a game yet due to foot surgery he underwent in January.
Kleber finally joined his new teammates for practice on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha.
"The Lakers did conditioning and shooting drills today — no live action — and Kleber was a full participant," Buha reported, adding that "there is still no timetable for his return."
JJ Redick said Maxi Kleber has begun on-court activity with the group but there is still no timetable for his return.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 16, 2025
The Lakers did conditioning and shooting drills today — no live action — and Kleber was a full participant.
It's been nearly three months since Kleber last touched the floor for an NBA game. He last suited up for the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 25, leaving time to tell if the lengthy recovery process will have him feeling good enough to join the postseason action.
Kleber, 33, has ties with the Lakers despite having yet to don the franchise's iconic uniform. All but one of his eight years with the Mavericks were played alongside Doncic, which also includes when the duo were teammates with Redick during the latter half of the 2020-21 campaign.
Having said that, the Lakers will have a use for Kleber only if his play is better than it was earlier this season. The German-born veteran was in the middle of his worst NBA season before being injured, averaging 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting only 38.5% from the floor and 26.5% from deep in 34 outings with the Mavericks.
The silver lining is that Kleber played well in a backup role in Dallas during the 2023-24 playoffs. He averaged 3.7 points and 0.9 threes made on 42.9% three-point shooting while playing 16.8 minutes across 13 outings, which is the kind of depth player the Lakers need to make some postseason noise as early as the opening round.
Whether or not Kleber plays this postseason, the future looks bright in Los Angeles. DraftKings Sportsbook is currently listing the Lakers as having the fourth-best 2025 NBA Finals odds (+1400) just a few days before the first-round festivities commence.
More Los Angeles Lakers News & Rumors:
Odds update periodically and are subject to change.