Player News

• Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Out for extended period

  11D ago • By RotoWire

  Shams Charania of ESPN said Wednesday on NBA Today that Leonard (knee) will miss multiple weeks but is expected to play this season. Charania's previous report said Leonard would be sidelined indefinitely as he deals with lingering inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, making the latest update unsurprising. However, we now have at least a rough estimate of a return timetable. Even when Leonard is cleared, he'll likely face minute restrictions and back-to-back limitations, but the Clippers remain confident the forward will return to an elite level at some point this season. Until Leonard is back on the court, Derrick Jones and Norman Powell should have increased responsibilities for the Clippers.

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• Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Out indefinitely

  17D ago • By RotoWire

  Leonard (knee) is expected to be sidelined indefinitely to start the regular season as he rehabilitates the inflammation in his right knee, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Leonard has yet to begin basketball activities, and it seems his recovery will take longer than previously expected. Leonard made 68 regular-season appearances last season, but injuries will continue to plague the star forward's availability in 2024-25. In his absence, Derrick Jones should continue to start at the forward position.

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• Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Yet to begin basketball activities

  18D ago • By RotoWire

  Leonard (knee) has yet to practice and has done no on-court work with the Clippers throughout training camp, Mark Medina of NBA.com reports. Head coach Tyronn Lue said after Monday's 110-96 preseason win over the Mavericks that the Clippers are prepared to move forward with the starting lineup of James Harden, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones and Ivica Zubac to begin the regular season while Leonard lacks a clear timeline to practice, much less play in a game. His inability to begin ramping up creates serious concern for his future outlook. The 33-year-old continues to rehab his inflamed right knee, and past surgeries on the same knee to address ACL and meniscus from previous years could be complicating factors in his recovery.

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• Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Set to miss season opener

  19D ago • By RotoWire

  Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue implied after Monday's 110-96 preseason win over the Mavericks that Leonard (knee) won't be available for the Oct. 23 regular-season opener versus the Suns, Joey Linn of SI.com reports. Though he didn't explicitly rule Leonard out for the opener, Lue said that James Harden, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones and Ivica Zubac will make up the Clippers' starting five to begin the regular season. The news isn't surprising in the least, as Leonard had already been ruled out for the entirety of the Clippers' preseason slate due to inflammation in his right knee, which he previously had twice surgically repaired to address a torn ACL and a meniscus. He also underwent a procedure earlier this offseason on the knee, after inflammation had prevented him from playing in the Clippers' final eight games of the 2023-24 regular season along with all six of the team's playoff contests. Given his lengthy history of right knee problems along with his seemingly recurring bouts of inflammation, Leonard is likely to be eased along slowly during his rehab process. He has yet to take part in any reported on-court contact work since the start of training camp, and though he remains without an official timeline to make his 2024-25 debut, fantasy managers probably shouldn't count on him being available until November at the earliest.

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• Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Won't play in preseason

  20D ago • By RotoWire

  Leonard (knee) has been ruled out for the Clippers' final two preseason games, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports. Leonard is continuing to recover from offseason knee surgery, and his status for the start of the regular season is most definitely in jeopardy at this point. The star forward still needs to be cleared for 5-on-5 work before he can move forward in his rehab.

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