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
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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
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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
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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
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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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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Won't play Tuesday
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Leonard (knee) will not play in Tuesday's preseason game against the Nets, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
This isn't the least bit surprising, as Leonard has yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages. The Clippers will continue to bring him along slowly, and it will be interesting to see if Leonard can play Opening Night against the Suns on Oct. 23, which he previously indicated was a sure thing.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Not clear for scrimmages
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Leonard (knee) will be held out of 5-on-5 action during Wednesday's practice, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Leonard was expected to be limited throughout the beginning of training camp, but Wednesday serves as the first threshold that the 33-year-old will fall short of. Leonard is planning to be ready for Opening Night on Oct. 23 against Phoenix, although his ability to play in future 5-on-5 scrimmages will be a critical milestone to hit in the coming weeks.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Hopeful for Opening Night
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Leonard (knee) said Monday that the plan is to be ready for Opening Night against the Suns on Oct. 23, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Leonard underwent offseason surgery to address swelling in his knee, and he's expected to be limited to begin training camp. Leonard mentioned he'll have to manage his knee issue for the remainder of his career, and the Clippers will proceed with extreme caution to ensure he's close to full strength for the playoffs. Fantasy managers should take Leonard's optimism with a grain of salt for that reason.
Leonard underwent offseason surgery to address swelling in his knee, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
While Leonard will be limited to strengthening his knee during training camp, there is optimism within the Clippers' organization that the surgery has helped progress the star forward's recovery. It is still unclear whether or not Leonard will be good to go once the regular season rolls around.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Limited to begin training camp
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President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Tuesday that Leonard's (knee) swelling has gone down significantly, but the forward will be held out of certain drill work to open training camp, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.comreports.
While Leonard continues to be limited by right knee inflammation, it appears he is progressing in his recovery ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Frank mentioned the star forward will focus on strengthening and loading as he works back to full health. Regardless, Leonard should be expected to miss quite a few games this season for load management, especially during back-to-backs.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Will be ready for camp, per Lue
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Coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard (knee) will be ready for training camp in October, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
"I speak to [Leonard] all the time," Lue told ESPN last week. "He'll be ready for training camp. He's feeling good, and I know he'll be ready for training camp." Leonard's injury-plagued past is no secret, and it popped up at the worst time last season. After appearing in 68 regular-season games -- his most since 2016-17 with the Spurs -- Leonard missed 12 of the Clippers' last 14 contests, including three postseason games. He was on track to play for Team USA at the Paris Olympics this summer, but the chronic knee injury sidelined him again. Lue coached for Team USA and appears well-informed on Leonard's situation, plus the six-time All-Star has proven capable of returning to form following devasting injuries. However, the history of health issues presents a red flag from a fantasy perspective.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Expected to be ready for camp
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Clippers President Lawrence Frank said Leonard (knee) is expected to be ready for training camp, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Frank said he didn't want to go into specifics as to whether or not Leonard had any offseason procedures on his troublesome knee, but he expressed disappointment that Team USA withdrew him from the roster. Lawrence made it clear that it was Team USA that made the decision, and that he thought Leonard looked "great" in their practices. Regardless, Leonard's health will be a hot topic for fantasy managers heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Withdraws from Olympics
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USA Basketball announced Wednesday that Leonard (knee) has withdrawn from the 2024 Paris Olympics, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
The rationale for Leonard's decision is somewhat unclear, but the superstar wing has dealt with a number of injuries in recent years, including inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, which kept him out for much of the Clippers' first-round playoff loss to the Mavericks. Rather than competing in Paris, Leonard will spend the rest of the summer preparing for the 2024-25 NBA season. USA Basketball has yet to formally announce a replacement for Leonard on the roster, though Charania relays that Boston guard Derrick White could be a leading candidate.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Ruled out for Game 6
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Leonard (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's Game 6 against Dallas, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
Leonard continues to deal with a knee injury and will be unavailable for a third consecutive game Friday. If the Clippers win Friday's contest and force a Game 7, it's unclear whether Leonard would be available for that win-or-go-home matchup.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Confirmed out for Game 5
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Coach Tyronn Lue said Tuesday that Leonard (knee) will not play in Game 5 versus the Mavericks on Wednesday, NBA writer Marc Stein reports.
Lue made this announcement shortly after saying Leonard wouldn't be doing anything at all during Tuesday's practice. Leonard clearly didn't have much mobility in Games 2 and 3, and it's unclear when he'll be able to return. Based on previous reports, the Clippers will need to see Leonard's knee inflammation improve before giving him the green light.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Won't practice Tuesday
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Coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard (knee) will not do anything at practice Tuesday, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
After sitting out Game 1 due to inflammation in his right knee, Leonard played in Games 2 and 3, but he looked like a shell of himself with limited mobility. Leonard was held out of Game 4 on Sunday, and it would be a big surprise if he could play Wednesday based on how the forward is trending. If Leonard is indeed held out, Amir Coffey would be a candidate to see an increased role.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Out for Game 4
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Leonard (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's Game 4 against the Mavericks, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
Due to inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, Leonard missed the Clippers' Game 1 win, which allowed Amir Coffey to draw a start. The superstar returned for Game 2 and posted 15 points (7-17 FG), seven rebounds and four steals in 35 minutes during the loss. He played only 25 minutes during the Clippers' Game 3 loss and finished with nine points (4-7 FG) and nine rebounds. Clippers president Lawrence Frank said shutting Leonard down for Game 4 was a move the organization made to ensure Leonard's future health, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Leonard will continue to be evaluated on a game-by-game basis, but it wouldn't be surprising if he ended up missing the rest of the first-round series.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Will be questionable for Game 4
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Leonard (knee) will be questionable for Sunday's Game 4 against the Mavericks, head coach Tyronn Lue told Joey Linn of SI.com.
Leonard logged 25 minutes in Friday's Game 3 loss, finishing with nine points (4-7 FG, 1-1 FT), nine rebounds and two assists, but he didn't look as fluid in his movements as he did in Game 2, when he was able to play 35 minutes while registering 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals. His official status will be determined closer to Sunday's 3.30 p.m. ET tipoff, but if he's ruled out, Terance Mann and Amir Coffey would be in line to pick up extra minutes.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Good to go for Game 3
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Leonard (knee) is available for Friday's Game 3 against the Mavericks, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
After missing Sunday's Game 1 win due to knee inflammation, Leonard returned for Game 2 on Tuesday and put up 15 points, seven rebounds, four steals, two assists and a block in 35 minutes during a 96-93 loss, marking his first appearance since March 31. With the series tied at 1-1, Leonard's health and impact will be key to the Clippers' success. Despite suiting up for back-to-back games, the questionable tag may stick with Leonard for the rest of the postseason.
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Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Present at shootaround
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Leonard (knee), who is questionable for Friday's Game 3 against the Mavericks, was present for the Clippers' morning shootaround, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Leonard returned from a nine-game absence during Tuesday's matchup against Dallas and continues to deal with knee inflammation ahead of Friday's game. However, his presence at shootaround is encouraging, and he appears to be trending in the right direction in the hours leading up to tipoff.
