The Los Angeles Clippers begin their third season without Kawhi Leonard. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Leonard has inflammation in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined to start the NBA season. He will be out indefinitely as he recovers from his injury.
Leonard has been struggling with problems with his right knee for months. He missed a handful of games late last season, as well as four of the Clippers’ six playoff games. He had committed to play for Team USA this summer, but withdrew about three weeks before the Paris Olympics.
The swelling in Leonard’s knee was “almost gone” by the end of September, but the origin of the swelling was called into question when Charania reported that Leonard had undergone a knee procedure during the offseason. He didn’t play any preseason games, and now there’s no timetable for when he’ll be back at full strength for the Clippers.
Leonard has battled knee issues in recent years, all of which appear to have started when he partially tore the ACL in his right knee during the Clippers’ 2021 playoff run. During his recovery, he missed the entire 2021-2022 season. He then tore the meniscus in his right knee during the 2022-23 playoffs, and re-injured his right knee during the playoffs last year.
