In 2017, Donnie Nelson gave an undrafted German forward a chance to pursue an NBA career. Nearly a decade later, that same relationship could bring the veteran back into Nelson’s orbit—this time in Rome.

Maxi Kleber, who spent the 2025–26 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, has reportedly drawn interest from BC Roma SPQR. According to an Italian basketball report, the club has initiated exploratory contacts with the 34-year-old free agent. The report was subsequently picked up by European basketball outlets, including Sportando and Basket Magazine.

It describes an initial inquiry, leaving the possibility of a move open rather than settled.

Still, the timing is notable. Roma is assembling a new basketball project under the leadership of former Dallas Mavericks executive Donnie Nelson, with Luka Dončić among its investors. And Kleber is not just another available veteran. He is someone who has spent years playing alongside Dončić—and whose NBA career began with Nelson’s help.

The question now is whether that familiar connection could lead Kleber toward a new role in European basketball after a limited final season in Los Angeles.

A limited Lakers role leaves the door open

Kleber’s latest NBA season was not defined by a major role in the Lakers’ rotation.

He appeared in 43 regular-season games, starting three, and averaged 2.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 12.4 minutes per game. His three-point shooting also fell to 31.2%, below his 35.6% career mark.

Those numbers do not tell the story of a player carrying a team’s offense. They describe a veteran whose contributions were more situational, with his value tied to what he could provide in specific lineups.

Throughout his nine-year NBA career, Kleber established a reputation as a frontcourt role player who could stretch the floor, defend multiple positions and play either forward or center. His ability to operate away from the basket made him useful in lineups that needed spacing around a primary ballhandler.

But his role in Los Angeles was limited. Frontcourt depth and physical limitations following major hamstring surgery in 2023 affected his ability to stay on the floor consistently. His perimeter shooting also became less reliable, while defending quicker players in space became more difficult.

That makes his free-agency situation important. Kleber’s three-year, $33 million extension, signed with Dallas in 2022, expired after the 2025–26 season. He is now an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Lakers do not hold a remaining contract option that would prevent him from choosing another destination.

For Los Angeles, this is not the loss of a franchise centerpiece. But for Kleber, it could be a chance to decide what the next stage of his career should look like.

From Dallas to Los Angeles and potentially Rome

Kleber’s connection to Dončić is one of the reasons this report stands out.

The two played together in Dallas for seven seasons before being reunited in Los Angeles after the February 2025 blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Mavericks. Across Dallas and Los Angeles, they shared eight NBA seasons.

Their relationship was also built around a clear basketball fit. Kleber’s pick-and-pop ability gave Dončić a frontcourt partner who could create space rather than occupy the same areas as the Slovenian star. Defensively, Kleber’s communication and positional awareness helped him contribute without needing a high volume of touches.

Dončić spoke about that value in March 2026, describing the kind of teammate Kleber had been throughout their time together.

“Maxi is the kind of player every superstar wants in their locker room. He doesn’t demand touches or worry about his line in the box score. He communicates on defense, sets hard screens, and knows where to be before the play even develops. You can’t put a price on that kind of trust.”

That quote helps explain why Kleber’s possible move is more interesting than a routine free-agent rumor. His value has never depended only on scoring. It has also come from understanding a system, knowing where to be and making life easier for the players around him.

And those qualities are familiar to both Dončić and Nelson.

Why Rome is looking at Kleber now

The immediate reason for Roma’s interest appears to be a frontcourt vacancy.

Dutch center Jesse Edwards, who joined the club from Baskonia during the summer 2026 transfer window, suffered a physical setback before training camp. Roma and Edwards subsequently agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent so he could return to the Netherlands for rehabilitation.

Superbasket described the resulting need for a new big man:

“The need for a new big man emerged strongly after the early separation from Jesse Edwards… BC Roma and Edwards decided by mutual agreement to terminate the contract…”

That context matters. The Kleber link is not simply about Luka bringing a former teammate to Italy. Roma has a practical roster need, and Kleber’s experience could fit it.

The Italian report describes the contact as an exploratory survey and initial approach. It does not establish that an agreement has been reached. But Kleber’s profile makes sense for a team seeking an experienced frontcourt player who can space the floor, defend and operate in different lineups.

In the NBA, those skills earned him a supporting role. In Europe, they could potentially make him a more central part of a team’s rotation.

That is where the opportunity could become meaningful for Kleber: not necessarily a bigger name, but a bigger role.

Luka’s Rome project is bigger than one signing

Roma SPQR is not an ordinary new club appearing on the European basketball map.

The project was formed through the acquisition and relocation of Vanoli Cremona’s sporting licence, giving the new Rome team a place in Italy’s top division. Donnie Nelson is leading the project, while Dončić is part of the ownership group alongside other basketball figures.

The club’s ambitions also extend beyond simply filling a roster. Roma is being built at a time when the NBA and FIBA are working toward a proposed European league targeted for October 2027.

The proposed competition would feature 16 teams, including 12 permanent franchises and four qualification-based places. Rome is among the cities being considered for the project, although the league’s final structure and membership are not yet settled.

That broader context gives Roma’s recruitment efforts added significance. The club is trying to establish itself in a major European basketball market while the sport’s international landscape is being reshaped.

For Kleber, joining such a project would mean entering a team with ambitions beyond a single season. For Dončić and Nelson, adding a player with NBA experience and an existing connection to their basketball network could also help establish the club’s identity.

But it is important not to overstate the connection. There is no public confirmation that Dončić personally recruited Kleber, nor has Roma announced a deal. The available reporting supports an initial inquiry—not a completed transfer.

A new chapter, not a Lakers crisis

Kleber’s potential departure should therefore be viewed in the right context.

The Lakers would be moving on from a veteran role player whose contract has expired, not losing a central piece of their team. His shooting and defensive versatility could be useful elsewhere, but his limited minutes and recent production mean Los Angeles would have room to reshape its frontcourt.

For Kleber, however, the decision could carry more weight. After nine seasons in the NBA, a move to Rome could offer the chance to play a larger role in a competitive European environment. It could also reconnect him with Nelson, the executive who helped bring him to the NBA, and Dončić, his longtime teammate.

The report remains preliminary. There is no confirmed contract, no announced agreement and no guarantee that Kleber will leave the NBA.

But the possibility is intriguing for a reason that goes beyond the Lakers’ roster.

A player whose NBA journey began with Donnie Nelson could now be considering a return to Europe through another project led by him. And if that move happens, Kleber would not simply be joining a new club. He could become part of Luka Dončić’s effort to build something lasting in European basketball.

For now, Rome has made the inquiry. The next step is whether Kleber decides that this new chapter is worth taking.