The Los Angeles Lakers have made a clear effort to surround their 26-year-old generational talent and ex-Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić with players that complement his skill set.
Los Angeles’ acquisitions of Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart provided Dončić with a solid, underrated big man and a former Defensive Player of the Year recipient in the backcourt, but their work is far from over.
In fact, recent updates have indicated that their general manager Rob Pelinka could remain active this season with regard to future roster decisions, as Los Angeles’ veteran forward Maxi Kleber might not remain with the franchise past the first half of the upcoming campaign.
“A combo package of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber to secure an upgrade within the Lakers rotation would be Pelinka’s dream,” FanSided’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote Thursday.
“Those deals will be available before the NBA trade deadline when other teams start to budge on their resolve for the immediate future.”
“Vincent and Kleber are both on expiring contracts and that should have some appeal on the trade market closer to February.”
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“The Lakers just need to wait for the opportune time to strike for the needed boost to the rotation.”
While the 33-year-old floor-spacer did not play a single minute for the Lakers after he was dealt from the Mavericks alongside Dončić prior to the trade deadline last season, the idea of his departure may be viewed as damaging to their team chemistry.
Kleber shared the floor with Dončić from 2018-2025, and eventually followed the 5-time All-NBA First Team selection to the Lakers by way of the most shocking trade in league history.
Dončić, who inked a 3-year, $165 million contract extension with Los Angeles this summer, has never gone through life as an NBA superstar without Kleber by his side.
Sure, it’s not realistic to believe that both Kleber and Dončić will remain on the same team for the rest of their careers, but would an abrupt mid-season trade involving the former upset the latter?
Pelinka’s goal of keeping Dončić happy throughout his Lakers tenure is an incredibly important one, and it’s plausible to believe that he may not take the risk of including Kleber in a potential deal in an effort to appease his superstar.
In 34 appearances for the Mavericks in 2024-25 before ultimately breaking his foot in January, Kleber contributed 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists on a dismal 45.3% effective field goal percentage.
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