Kawhi Leonard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Expected To Return Saturday

January 3rd, 2025 at 10:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is expected to play his first game of the season on Saturday against the Hawks, sources inform NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link).

ESPN’s Shams Charania confirms (via Twitter) that Leonard intends to play. Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets that L.A. will appraise Leonard’s health on Saturday morning before making a final decision.

For their part, the Clippers officially upgraded Leonard’s status against Atlanta to questionable.

Last week, it was reported that the two-time Finals MVP and the Clippers were targeting this January 4 tilt for Leonard’s return to action. It appears that remains very much the plan, and his ramp-up from an offseason procedure to address right knee inflammation is still on track.

Leonard took part in a 5-on-5 Clippers scrimmage last week, and practiced with the club’s NBAGL affiliate, the San Diego Clippers, during L.A.’s recently concluded three-game road trip.

L.A. went 1-2 on that road trip. But the Clippers have had a surprisingly robust start to their 2024/25 season sans Leonard, thanks in large part to the prolific scoring of guards James Harden and Norman Powell. The club is currently 19-15 on the season. That record is good for the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed, a solid finish without the team’s highest-paid player.

In 2023/24, Leonard enjoyed his healthiest season yet while playing for his hometown team. Across 68 contests, the San Diego State alum averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per night. He was named to his sixth All-Star and All-NBA teams for his efforts.

Sadly, the 33-year-old’s luck ran out in the postseason, as he survived just two playoff games for the Clippers before being sidelined due to the knee issue. Leonard has not made it through the playoffs healthy since his first season with L.A. in 2020.

Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Targeting January 4 Return

December 27th, 2024 at 6:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers and Kawhi Leonard are targeting next Saturday, January 4, for the star forward’s return from the knee issue that has sidelined him for the entire 2024/25 season so far, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Leonard dealt with inflammation in his right knee at the end of last season and battled the issue again during the summer, necessitating his removal from the U.S. Olympic team. He underwent a procedure on the troublesome knee during the offseason and continued to work his way back to full strength this fall, delaying his season debut.

As we relayed earlier today, Leonard isn’t traveling with the Clippers on their three-game road trip, which begins on Monday in New Orleans and runs through next Thursday in Oklahoma City.

However, he participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage on Thursday and the plan is for him to practice with the San Diego Clippers in the G League while the NBA squad is on the road.

The January 4 game vs. the Hawks is the Clippers’ first contest back at home following their road trip. Murray cautions (via Twitter) that there are still a number of boxes for Leonard to check within the next week, but if all goes well, it sounds as if the plan is for him to suit up vs. Atlanta.

Despite losing star forward Paul George during the offseason and missing Leonard for their first 30 games this season, the Clippers have remained highly competitive. They currently hold a 17-13 record, which technically makes them the No. 7 seed in the West, though they trail the No. 6 Lakers (17-13) in the standings by only a tiebreaker and the No. 5 Nuggets (16-12) by just percentage points.

Leonard’s return should make the Clippers an even greater threat in the Western Conference playoff race, assuming he can stay on the court. The two-time Finals MVP has missed 191 of 420 regular season games and 15 of 43 postseason contests since signing with L.A. in 2019.

When healthy, Leonard has continued to consistently play at an All-Star level. Last season, he averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game with a .525/.417/.885 shooting line in 68 outings, earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team.

Injury Notes: Leonard, Suns, Green, Harris, Banchero

December 27th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will not play on Friday against Golden State and he will not travel with the team for its upcoming three-game road trip, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link). Leonard has yet to play this season as he recovers from a right knee injury.

However, the two-time Finals MVP continues to make progress — he went through a 5-on-5 practice on Thursday and he will practice with the G League’s San Diego Clippers while the NBA club is out of town.

“Making sure he’s doing everything so this doesn’t occur again so we can kind of monitor the fluid and see how it’s working,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “So far it’s been really good and we just want to continue to keep progressing.”

For what it’s worth, Leonard released a vague teaser video (via Twitter) on Friday saying he’ll be back “pretty soon.”

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Suns will be without All-Star guard Devin Booker for the fourth straight game on Friday when Phoenix faces Dallas, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker is recovering from a left groin strain. Grayson Allen (concussion protocol) and Bol Bol (left knee contusion) will also be sidelined for the Suns.
After previously being listed as questionable, Warriors forward/center Draymond Green has been downgraded to doubtful ahead of Friday’s matchup with the Clippers, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. An eight-time All-Defensive member, Green is dealing with a contusion on the left side of his lower back.
Magic guard Gary Harris may suit up on Friday vs. New York after missing the past 13 games with a left hamstring strain. He’s listed as probable, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links), who notes that while Paolo Banchero is still out, his injury designation has changed from torn right oblique to “return to competition reconditioning.” Banchero, who hasn’t played since Oct. 30, has been ramping up his on-court activities, but he’s not doing contact work yet.

Injury Notes: Doncic, R. Williams, Leonard, Jones, Heat, Wade

December 23rd, 2024 at 7:11pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past two games with a left heel contusion, Luka Doncic was upgraded to available for Monday’s contest vs. Portland, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). The perennial All-NBA guard had previously been listed as questionable.

For the same game, big man Robert Williams was ruled out due to a left ankle sprain, per the Trail Blazers (Twitter link). Williams was questionable this afternoon, so his latest injury doesn’t appear to be anything significant.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

A Clippers source tells Law Murray of The Athletic that Kawhi Leonard (right knee) will not suit up for Friday’s contest vs. Golden State (Twitter link). Murray predicted last week that Leonard, who has been going through contact practices and recently traveled on a three-game road trip, would play on Friday, but his season debut will be delayed by at least one more game.
Although they won’t have Leonard back yet, the Clippers did receive some good injury news last week, as Derrick Jones returned early from a right hamstring strain, Murray writes for The Athletic. The 27-year-old forward made an immediate impact against his former team, helping Los Angeles defeat Dallas on Thursday. “Derrick was a big part of our success last year,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. “He was the last to sign with us … he made us a little bit more athletic. He could guard one through five. He shot the three well for us. And he’s a pro. He comes to work every day to do his job. We’re happy for his new contract. Unfortunately, he’s on the other side. But the Clippers got a pro.”
The Heat were shorthanded on Monday vs. Brooklyn, with Jimmy Butler (stomach illness) missing his second straight game and Josh Richardson (right heel inflammation) missing his fifth, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays. Terry Rozier was a late addition to Monday’s injury report after experiencing left knee inflammation, his first absence with that injury, Chiang adds.
Forward Dean Wade experienced some soreness after taking knee-to-knee contact in Saturday’s contest vs. Philadelphia and the Cavaliers decided to be cautious and keep him out of Monday’s contest against Utah, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Wade is expected to return for Friday’s contest vs. Denver, Cleveland’s next game, sources tell Fedor. Sam Merrill started in place of Wade, who himself was an injury replacement for Isaac Okoro (shoulder sprain).

Clippers Notes: Leonard, Jones, Mann

December 18th, 2024 at 6:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has yet to make his season debut due to a right knee injury. After participating in the non-contact portions of practices last week, the 33-year-old forward was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, including contact drills, according to head coach Tyronn Lue (Twitter link via Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times).

While it’s obviously a positive sign that Leonard has progressed to the point where he’s able to do contact work, he will remain out for the team’s three-game road trip, which starts Thursday in Dallas and ends Monday in Memphis. Leonard will travel with the team, however, per Lue.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Los Angeles will have multiple days off after Monday’s game, with the team’s next contest coming vs. Golden State on December 27. Law Murray of The Athletic predicts that Leonard will make his season debut on that date, given his current rate of progress (Twitter link). If that comes to fruition, the veteran forward will have missed the first 30 games of the 2024/25 season.
Derrick Jones is ahead of schedule in his return timeline, as the 27-year-old was a limited practice participant on Wednesday, per Murray (Twitter link). Los Angeles announced eight days ago that Jones, who is recovering from a right hamstring strain, would be reevaluated in two weeks, but he’s officially questionable for Thursday’s matchup with the Mavs, tweets Turner. A free agent addition over the offseason, the high-flying Jones has started all 25 games in which he’s appeared this season.
Another injured Clipper, swingman Terance Mann, was able to do some “shooting and some ball-handling stuff” in Wednesday’s practice, according to Lue (Twitter link via Murray). As Murray notes, Mann had surgery to repair a broken finger on his non-shooting hand a couple weeks ago and is set to be reevaluated next week. Murray suggests Mann could return in a couple weeks during another three-game road trip (Dec. 30 – Jan. 2).

Pacific Notes: Leonard, Schroder, Van Arsdale, Bronny

December 17th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kawhi Leonard, who has yet to make his season debut as he rehabs his right knee, took part in two non-contact practices last week. Noting that Leonard has “progressed very well,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue didn’t offer any real hints about when his star forward might suit up, but said Kawhi may accompany the team on its upcoming two-game road trip.

“I think we’re going to be more excited to have him for a full practice,” James Harden told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “We don’t really have contact practice, but when we do, just contact practice and then games. So, he’s inching his way back towards the court and take his time. Whenever he’s ready, we’re ready for him.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that newly-acquired Dennis Schröder will take some of the offensive burden off Stephen Curry. “We need a pick-and-roll player right now,” Kerr said, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “The last 10 games, our pick-and-roll efficiency is dead last in the league. Teams are loading up on Steph. You can’t ask him to run every pick-and-roll. Dennis is a pick-and-roll player.”
Suns legend Dick Van Arsdale has passed away at the age of 81, the team’s PR department tweets. He was the first selection in the expansion draft to build the Suns’ roster and scored the first points in team history. Van Arsdale earned three All-Star selections, was a member of the team’s NBA Finals team in 1976 and retired as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in 1977. Van Arsdale was also a broadcaster and front office executive for the franchise.
Lakers rookie guard Bronny James will participate in the NBA G League Winter Showcase this week, Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN report. The Lakers’ front office and James’ agents at Klutch Sports partnered on the plan to have the guard play in the Orlando event as another step in his development, the ESPN duo adds. Bronny has averaged 20.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over his past three games for the South Bay Lakers.

Pacific Notes: Leonard, Monk, McDermott, Durant

December 11th, 2024 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ wish to see Kawhi Leonard back on the court might come true by Christmas, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Leonard, who has been dealing with inflammation in his right knee that dates back to spring, was able to practice for the first time on Tuesday. Coach Tyronn Lue said that barring any setbacks, Leonard could be playing again within two weeks.

“Really good sign, just seeing him out there moving, moving well,” Lue said. “I think the biggest thing for him is just the confidence in it. Just having the confidence to keep doing it, not to feel the pain, and just continue to keep getting through it. So, it was good to see him on the floor and it gave us a little juice today just for our guys seeing him on the floor, it really picked up our energy.”

The Clippers were counting on Leonard to serve as the foundation of the team when they gave him a three-year, $150MM extension midway through last season. They have been able to remain surprisingly competitive without him, sitting in sixth place in the West with a 14-11 record and the sixth-ranked defense in the league.

Lue cautioned that even though Leonard continues to make progress, there’s still not a firm target date for him to return.

“He’s got to do a lot more things to really get back on the floor,” Lue added. “We just want to make sure he’s 100%. We don’t want to get him out there, 70%, 75%. Like, let’s just take our time, make sure we get it right. … We’re not going to let him skip steps, and so we want to do right by Kawhi.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Kings‘ offense has been sparked by the recent decision to move Malik Monk into the starting lineup, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. In the five games since coach Mike Brown made the move, Sacramento ranks first in the league in scoring and offensive rating, fourth in field goal percentage and seventh in three-point shooting. “He adds another play-maker and another guy who can really get downhill,” De’Aaron Fox said. “Ultimately, that makes your offense a lot better, especially from the start of the game to the end.”
Doug McDermott enjoyed his best game since joining the Kings in Sunday’s win over Utah, Anderson adds in a separate story. The 32-year-old forward scored 18 points in eight minutes of the fourth quarter, sinking 6-of-7 three-point shots. “Once the first couple went in, I figured I might as well keep shooting,” said McDermott, who wasn’t used in the previous four games. “It was a good win for us. Our group came out really happy with the way we closed the game. Everyone on the bench was ready to play.”
Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic are both due to be reevaluated this week, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The Suns have an 11-2 record when Durant plays, but they’re just 1-9 without him. “We’re not playing a complete 48 minutes,” Tyus Jones said. “I think we’re playing good enough to win, but we’re not playing a full 48. We have stretches throughout the game where we kind of get careless, too many turnovers. Not getting the stops that we need.” A previous report stated that Durant could return on Friday vs. Utah or Sunday vs. Portland.

Clippers’ Derrick Jones Out At Least Two Weeks With Hamstring Strain

December 10th, 2024 at 2:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Derrick Jones will be sidelined for at least a couple weeks after suffering a right hamstring strain, the team announced (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

Jones will be reevaluated in two weeks, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he misses additional time beyond that, given the nature of soft-tissue injuries.

According to Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points (Twitter link), Jones was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday’s game vs. Houston after experiencing soreness in the hamstring. He played 12 minutes in the loss.

Jones signed a three-year, $30MM contract with the Clippers over the offseason after playing a key role in helping Dallas make the NBA Finals last spring. He was off to a solid start in his first season in Los Angeles, averaging 10.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.3 SPG on .500/.417/.871 shooting through 25 games, all starts (25.0 MPG).

With Jones out, forwards Jordan Miller and Nicolas Batum saw an uptick in minutes vs. Houston. That figures to continue for at least the next two weeks.

In other injury news, James Harden (groin), Amir Coffey (shoulder contusion) and Mohamed Bamba (left knee) practiced today, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. All three players were sidelined on Sunday.

Head coach Tyronn Lue also provided an injury update on star forward Kawhi Leonard, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). Lue said that Leonard went through non-contact drills during Tuesday’s practice and he’ll remain out for Friday’s contest in Denver.

“He did offensive script, defensive work, just no contact. But he did pretty much everything else,” Lue said of Leonard (Twitter video link via McMenamin). “He looked good. He’s not playing this week but he’s getting better. … Just keep building up until he’s able to do contact. We’re not sure when that’s going to come.”

Western Notes: Flagler, Durant, Leonard, Ingram

December 9th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder two-way player Adam Flagler will miss four-to-six weeks due to a right fourth metacarpal fracture, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets.

The 25-year-old guard out of Baylor has appeared in 11 games with the Thunder this season. He’s averaged 1.4 points and 0.5 rebounds in 3.4 minutes per contest, having played almost exclusively in garbage time.

Flagler is a holdover from last season, as he originally signed his two-way deal in February. He was a critical contributor for the Oklahoma City Blue’s championship squad in 2023/24. In three G League contests this season, he has averaged 25.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.7 APG and 2.3 SPG.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Suns are 11-2 with Kevin Durant in uniform and 1-9 without him. Phoenix should be able to overcome Durant’s absences better than that, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com writes. Their futility in the games he’s missed is due in large part to Devin Booker‘s subpar efficiency and spotty defense, as well as Bradley Beal‘s inability to step up his game to fill the void, according to Bourguet.
Kawhi Leonard appears to be progressing toward a return this month and it would be an ideal time to ease him back into the Clippers‘ lineup, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. The Clippers don’t have back-to-back games until New Year’s Day and will only play six games in the 21-day window that begins on Monday, which should help their injured players heal up. “He’s a defensive-minded guy who can guard the basketball, guard five different positions,” head coach Tyronn Lue said of Leonard. “For him coming into what we’re doing, it shouldn’t be hard for him to get involved.”
Brandon Ingram‘s ankle injury, which will keep him out of action indefinitely, means the floundering Pelicans must soon make some difficult decisions, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. They must decide what to do with Ingram, a free agent after the season, and whether there’s still a trade market for him. They also must figure out what to do with their other oft-injured star, Zion Williamson.

Pacific Notes: Leonard, Lakers, Beal, Dunn

December 7th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kawhi Leonard was able to work out and do some shooting at the Clippers‘ practice facility on Saturday, but there’s still no word on when he might be able to start playing, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Bill Simmons of The Ringer recently stated that Leonard is expected to be available by Christmas, but coach Tyronn Lue refused to offer a specific timeframe.

“(He’s) just doing all the things he’s supposed to. … He’s got to check all the boxes and do all the right things, not skip any steps,” Lue said. “So, when he completes that, then we’ll move on. … He’s getting better. He’s on the floor, he’s doing stuff, but he’s not ready to play.”

Leonard has been plagued by inflammation in his right knee dating back to spring. He was limited to two games in last season’s playoffs, then was sent home from the U.S. Olympic team because of concerns about his ability to play. The Clippers have managed to remain competitive without him — getting off to a 14-10 start that has them sixth in the West — but Leonard’s teammates are as eager as anyone else to see him playing again.

“I know everybody is excited for him to be back,” Amir Coffey said. “We see him getting on the court, going through drills, it’s a good sign.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers could use some reinforcements after ending a road trip with three straight losses, but help may not be coming for a while, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Austin Reaves missed the last four games with a bruised left pelvis and is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest against Portland. Jaxson Hayes has only played in one of the last 13 games due to right ankle injuries, and he’s expected to be reevaluated this week. Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood are still recovering from offseason surgery — Vanderbilt is expected to return sometime in early January, while Wood’s timeline is less clear. “There’s no cavalry. No one [feels] sorry for us,” Anthony Davis said. “We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. Just gotta continue to put our head down and grind and work.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal believes he has overcome the left calf strain that has caused him to be in and out of the lineup recently, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal played his second straight game tonight and logged more than 34 minutes. “Feel good, really good,” he said. “Progressing the right way. Minutes have been fine. Body is reacting fine postgame. Feel great.”
Suns rookie Ryan Dunn missed his second straight game with soreness in his left ankle, but coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t believe it’s a long-term issue (Twitter video link from Rankin).