Lakers Provide Latest Injury Update on Maxi Kleber

On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers will take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena in what will be the first of the final 10 road games of the regular season.

Although the Lakers are almost at full strength with a nearly clean injury report, veteran forward Maxi Kleber continues to deal with back soreness, which had him listed as questionable for Thursday’s game on the road in Denver.

Maxi Kleber Ruled Out vs. Nuggets

The Lakers have announced that Kleber has been ruled out for this matchup against the Nuggets in Denver.

Maxi Kleber (back soreness) has been downgraded to OUT for tonight’s game at Denver.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 6, 2026

Even though Kleber won’t be available on Thursday, it won’t change much in terms of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation, with the veteran big man averaging only 11.0 minutes per game during his first full season with the Lakers.

Kleber was cleared to play in Tuesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, but didn’t end up seeing the floor, with Redick and his coaching staff deciding to keep him on the bench.

Although Kleber hasn't seen the floor much during the 2025-26 campaign, the veteran has made an impact on his teammates as well as Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who recently chimed in on why the 34-year-old forward has been so important.

“He's a terrific teammate,” Redick said of Kleber. “It's easy to root for his success and I think because of when he started his NBA career and some of these injuries, you know, he's not the same that he was when he was at his peak in Dallas, when I thought he was, you know, one of the most impactful and versatile defenders in the NBA, but he just plays winning basketball and very, very unselfish and selfless.”

Rui Hachimura also recently shared his thoughts on what Kleber has done for the squad this season.

“He's the guy that makes our team,” Hachimura said of Kleber. “He has good energy. He always brings good energy to the team. We always talk about how we need to be more like Maxi or we need to be like Maxi. We always talk about that. I know how he approaches this every day and brings positive energy. He always brings good energy to the team, whether he plays or not. He is always on the bench cheering for the team and trying to help the team win, but that kind of stuff is really big. He's a vet. He’s almost like 35 or something, so he's a vet. I think he knows exactly what's his role is and when he gets a chance to play, he always makes some plays (like) hustle players. He likes to do that stuff.”

So even though Kleber's impact hasn't been felt in the stat sheet for the Lakers, he's making his presence felt in other areas and is clearly valued by Redick and company.

Add us as a preferred source on Google