Hapoel Tel Aviv is exploring a move for veteran forward Maxi Kleber as the EuroLeague club looks to reinforce its frontcourt ahead of the 2026-27 season, according to Moshe Barda.
Kleber, 34, is a free agent after spending the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The German big man brings nine seasons of NBA experience, defensive versatility and floor-spacing ability to a Hapoel roster that is undergoing significant changes after a successful EuroLeague campaign.
Hapoel finished the 2025-26 EuroLeague regular season sixth with a 23-15 record and qualifying for the playoffs. The Israeli club reached the postseason in its first season among Europe’s elite but was eliminated by Real Madrid in the quarterfinals after a 3-1 series defeat.
Kleber would add experience to a frontcourt that lost Jonathan Motley during the offseason. Motley averaged 8.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 35 EuroLeague games for Hapoel last season while shooting 61.5% from the field. The team also moved on from Kessler Edwards, Chris Jones, Yam Madar, Levi Randolph and Collin Malcolm.
Hapoel has already added several players to reshape the roster, including Zach LeDay, Tomas Satoransky and Amir Coffey. Those additions have increased the team’s depth and experience as it prepares for another EuroLeague campaign.
Kleber’s value comes from his ability to defend multiple positions and stretch the floor. During his NBA career, he has averaged 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 483 games while shooting 35.2% from three-point range on 2.9 attempts per game.
The 2025-26 season was a limited one for Kleber, who averaged 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.7 minutes over 43 games with the Lakers. He shot 45.2% from the field but connected on only 23.1% of his three-point attempts.
Kleber previously played a larger role with the Dallas Mavericks, where he became an important part of the team’s defensive structure and spacing. His best statistical season came in 2019-20, when he averaged 9.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 37.3% from three-point range.
For Hapoel, the potential addition would provide a different skill set compared with traditional interior big men. Kleber can operate as a power forward or small-ball center, allowing the team to create spacing around scorers such as Elijah Bryant, who averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in EuroLeague play last season.
Hapoel’s 2025-26 roster relied heavily on offensive production from Bryant, Daniel Oturu and Antonio Blakeney. Oturu averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 70.8% from the field, while Blakeney contributed 13.2 points per game and shot 40% from three.
