Lakers predicted to cut ties with Luka Doncic's $33 million former Mavericks teammate

“Kleber arrived as a part of the Doncic trade before the 2025 NBA trade deadline. Since then, the veteran big man has offered little to no substantial impact in a Lakers uniform on the court.”

“At 34 years old, it is fair to wonder whether the German big man is still an NBA-caliber player. If someone deems Kleber to still be at that level, it should not be the Lakers.”

Kleber hasn’t been an integral part of J.J. Redick’s rotation upon joining the Lakers midway through the 2024-25 season. Kleber, who didn’t appear in any games with Los Angeles last season due to a right foot fracture, only contributed 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45.2% from the field and 23.1% from beyond the arc with the Lakers during the 2025-26 regular season.

Kleber averaged 0.3 points and 0.7 rebounds in three postseason games with Los Angeles, further proving he wasn’t a contributor that felt he could trust this year regularly. While Kleber exhibited potential as a stretch four with the Mavericks earlier in his career, he doesn’t seem to have a refined role with his new team.

For that reason, it isn’t a stretch to suggest the 6-foot-10 forward should spend the 2026-27 campaign elsewhere.

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