Lakers’ Maxi Kleber sidelined with oblique strain to start season

Maxi Kleber won’t be on the floor when the regular season tips off. The Lakers announced the veteran forward has an oblique strain and will be reevaluated in about two weeks, meaning he’s likely out for at least the first eight games.

Kleber, acquired from Dallas in February’s Luka Doncic blockbuster, just can’t catch a break. He broke his foot in January, made his Lakers debut in the playoffs, then was limited to one preseason game this fall after a quad injury. Now the oblique issue has him sidelined again.

When healthy, Kleber has been a steady rotation piece — averaging between 21 and 27 minutes per game in Dallas from 2018 to 2022.

But the injuries have piled up. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, he’s missed 132 regular-season games and played in 114.

With Kleber sidelined — and LeBron James and Adou Thiero also out to open the season — the Lakers will lean heavily on Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt up front. Two-way big Christian Koloko could also see early minutes.