Hapoel Tel Aviv Considers Signing Former NBA Forward-Center Maxi Kleber

Hapoel Tel Aviv is evaluating the potential signing of German forward-center Maxi Kleber, who recently ended his nine-year NBA career. The Israeli club initially aimed to acquire Mario Hezonja, who is now set to join the Cleveland Cavaliers, prompting the team to explore Kleber as an alternative. Kleber, 34, standing 2.08 meters tall, entered the NBA in 2017 after two seasons with Bayern Munich and became closely associated with the Dallas Mavericks, succeeding fellow German Dirk Nowitzki. Despite a career marked by numerous injuries, Kleber's best NBA season was during the COVID-19 pandemic year, averaging 9.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. In February 2025, he was traded in the deal that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, where Kleber played 43 games last season, averaging 2 points per game.

Kleber has not been part of the German national team in recent years due to a conflict with team leader Dennis Schröder, resulting in his exclusion from national selections. Hapoel Tel Aviv currently has a strong roster of frontcourt players, including recent signing Zach LeDay and prospective naturalized player Jacob Topin. The team also retains players such as Ish Weinerite, Tomer Ginat, Dan Otero, Itay Segev, and Tai Odiase, maintaining depth in the forward and center positions.