Maxi Kleber

Kleber is a German forward-center who has built a solid NBA career as a stretch big and defensive contributor. After developing in the German and Spanish leagues, he joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2017 and became a trusted rotation player, helping the team reach the 2024 NBA Finals before a trade sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Born Maximilian Kleber on January 29, 1992, in Würzburg, Germany, he played in the youth ranks of TG Veitshöchheim, SC Heuchelhof, and TG Würzburg. He made his professional debut in Germany's Basketball Bundesliga during the 2011-12 season with s.Oliver Baskets, averaging 9.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in his second season. He declared for the 2012 NBA draft but withdrew, then became auto-eligible in 2014 without being selected.

Kleber played two seasons in Spain with Obradoiro CAB, averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. He returned to Germany and signed with Bayern Munich in 2015, averaging 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in his final season there. On July 13, 2017, he signed with the Dallas Mavericks.

In Dallas, Kleber developed from an end-of-bench player into a key rotation piece. On February 21, 2020, he scored a career-high 26 points against Orlando. In the 2022 playoffs, he scored 25 points and hit eight three-pointers in a win over the Utah Jazz. On March 17, 2023, he made a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers. He helped Dallas reach the 2024 NBA Finals and signed a four-year contract extension in 2022 before being traded to the Lakers in 2025.

Kleber is a stretch big with reliable three-point shooting and the size to defend multiple frontcourt positions. He scores on pick-and-pops, spot-up threes, and occasional drives. Defensively, his lateral mobility allows him to switch screens and contest shots, making him valuable in playoff rotations. He is not a high-volume scorer but provides spacing, toughness, and experience.