NBA
Lakers’ Maxi Kleber (oblique) is out at least the first two weeks of the 2025-26 season
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated21 minutes ago on October 21, 2025
Opening night of the 2025-26 NBA season is officially here. There are two primetime matchups for fans to enjoy. At 7:30 p.m. EST, the Rockets will be on the road to face the Thunder.
Later at 10:00 p.m. EST, the Warriors will be on the road against the Lakers. For that matchup, we already knew the Lakers would be without LeBron James. He is currently dealing with sciatica on his right side. James is not the only frontcourt player the Lakers will be without. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Lakers’ Maxi Kleber will not be available on Tuesday. He is out at least the first two weeks of the 2025-26 season due to an oblique strain.
Maxi Kleber will miss the first two weeks of the Lakers’ season with an oblique injury
The Lakers say Maxi Kleber will be sidelined for at least two weeks by an oblique strain.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 21, 2025
During the 2024-25 regular season, the Lakers traded with the Mavericks for All-NBA PG Luka Doncic. In that deal, Los Angeles also acquired Maxi Kleber from Dallas. When he arrived last season, Kleber was still recovering from a foot injury. The 33-year-old did not play in the regular season for the Lakers after the trade. His only game action with Los Angeles was Game 5 of the first round of the West playoffs.
Since joining the Lakers, Maxi Kleber has consistently had injuries. He suffered a foot injury as a member of the Mavericks. Kleber was not at full strength when he was traded to the Lakers. It took him time to recover from foot surgery. During traning camp in 2025-26, Kleber suffered a quad injury. That forced him to miss a majority of the preseason. He played in the Lakers’ preseason finale on Friday, October 17.
Maxi Kleber is OUT for at least two weeks with an oblique strain, per @TheSteinLine pic.twitter.com/ZvEU14fCoX
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 21, 2025
Now, Maxi Kleber has appeared on the injury report ahead of the Lakers’ first regular-season game in 2025-26. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Kleber will miss at least the first two weeks of the season. Lakers’ fans will have to wait even longer to see Maxi Kleber’s regular-season debut. Not having Kleber for the first two weeks in 2025-26 is not ideal.
Especially given the fact that Los Angeles is without 21-time all-star LeBron James. Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, and Jared Vanderbilt are frontcourt players the Lakers will rely on. Without James, Luka Doncic will be running the show for Los Angeles. It’s his first full season with the Lakers. On Tuesday, October 21, the Lakers are at home on opening night to face the Warriors at 10:00 p.m. EST.
