The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs as the fourth seed in the Western Conference, but it’s not clear if and when Kawhi Leonard will be in uniform to join them as the postseason gets set to begin.
The Clippers star missed the last eight games of the regular season due to what the team is thus far only calling “right knee inflammation,” but was enough of an issue to see him sent home from a road trip after it occurred, and has had very little concrete information provided on it since.
According to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, there is now “increasing doubt” that Leonard (who is being listed as questionable) will be able to play in Game 1 on Sunday, April 21.
The updates from the team’s Saturday practice weren’t much more optimistic:
Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard has been shooting and will shoot more today with the team. He has not gone through contact yet.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 20, 2024
Paul George on Kawhi Leonard’s injury:
“Injuries happen. That’s part of the game, no way of really avoiding it… A lot of it has to do with luck too… But I do think at some point he’ll be with us.” pic.twitter.com/7b1E4h0xJO
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 20, 2024
When he has been asked questions about not having Kawhi Leonard tomorrow in Game 1, Lue answers initially by saying Leonard’s status isn’t set and they don’t know that yet. Like Lawrence Frank, Lue said Leonard’s status is considered questionable entering Game 1.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 20, 2024
Asked Ty Lue what Kawhi Leonard has been able to do the last couple of days: “He shot yesterday, he was on the floor. Today, he will be able to shoot more with a little bit more movement. And he is going to go through some of the practice as well.” Lue says no contact today.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 20, 2024
Tyronn Lue already has a replacement in the starting lineup in mind for Kawhi Leonard, and he’s still not taking contact after today.
He’s going to be listed as QUESTIONABLE, but sounds like it would be genuinely surprising if he played in Game 1 tomorrow.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 20, 2024
That is a change from the prior whispers on the situation from Friday, which came courtesy of NBA insider Shams Charania, who reported that Leonard had an injection in his knee and that there was “optimism” from the team he will be ready for Game 1 on Sunday.
The only drama? The Clippers were unwilling to confirm such word, on either front, with lead executive Lawrence Frank pushing back to reporters on Thursday:
Lawrence Frank said Kawhi has made progress but there’s still inflammation. Leonard still hasn’t done any contact and is considered questionable for Game 1. Asked if Kawhi received an injection, Frank won’t go into detail on any treatment other than he’s doing everything he can.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 18, 2024
“How do these stats not count?” – Lawrence Frank on play-in.
Also: “No real, real update” on Kawhi, who’s been dealing with inflammation for the last three weeks. “More progress … inflammation needs to continue to reduce before he can do functional basketball.” No contact yet.
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) April 18, 2024
Asked if Kawhi Leonard needs a full contact practice before being cleared for Game 1, Lawrence Frank said that’s a question for medical staff.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 18, 2024
Lawrence Frank on Kawhi Leonard’s status: “We’ve seen some progress … if inflammation doesn’t go down, you can’t make certain movements on the court … I don’t have a crystal ball…
“Hopeful … he’ll be back on the court.
“You can’t predict something that’s unpredictable.”
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) April 18, 2024
Asked about previous lack of information surrounding Kawhi Leonard’s injury, Lawrence Frank said, “There’s no gamesmanship here… it’s unpredictable… there is no one more frustrated than Kawhi, who wants to play… structurally everything’s sound. we’re hopeful Kawhi will play.”
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 18, 2024
The previous day, Clippers head coach Tyronn gave his latest update on Leonard, saying that he is preparing as if he will play in Game 1… but that he still isn’t playing 5-on-5 in practice:
Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard did not participate in the 5-on-5 part of Clippers yesterday.
When I asked if he’s game planning as if he’s not available, Ty Lue said no. He’s preparing as if Kawhi will play in Game 1.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 17, 2024
Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard is “good.” He said Kawhi looked OK yesterday and the team will talk to medical to see what he can do today in practice.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 17, 2024
After the team’s previous practice on Tuesday, Lue first confirmed that Kawhi has been a partial participant in practice while still declining to provide any sort of formal return timeline (via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN):
“Not fully, but he’s going to be a part of practice,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said before practice on Tuesday. “He’s going to do a quarter of the practice.”
Lue would only say “We’ll see” in regards to whether Leonard will be ready for Game 1 on Sunday.
During the team’s regular season matchup with the Utah Jazz on Friday, April 12, Clippers Frank gave his only previous update on Leonard, and (notably) stopped short of giving any sort of timeline or commitment that his star would be back this season… or postseason:
Lawrence Frank on Kawhi Leonard, who is dealing with right knee inflammation:
“With Kawhi, he’s dealing with inflammation. It’s no secret he’s had a couple surgeries to that knee. It’s not uncommon over the course of it where you deal with inflammation. With inflammation, it…
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 13, 2024
And this was after Lue’s comments prior to the team’s previous game that raised some eyebrows:
Here at Clips tonight. @TomerAzarly asks any concern Kawhi’s absence could bleed into the playoffs? Tyronn Lue: “No, not as of right now.” So, that’s good? As of right now?
— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) April 11, 2024
Here is rest of the latest we know about what is going on, and when he could be back:
Kawhi got an MRI
According to Tomer Azarly, who covers the Clippers as a credentialed reporter for Clutch Points, Leonard “underwent a precautionary MRI upon returning to Los Angeles, which did not show anything that would cause the Clippers significant concern.”
Leonard left the team’s road trip after the soreness flared up vs. the Charlotte Hornets on April 1, and went back to Los Angeles for treatment rather than continue on with the team to Sacramento to face the Kings.
Lue was initially hoping Leonard would be back last Thursday, April 4 against the Denver Nuggets… but he has instead missed that game as well, and every game since:
Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard’s right knee soreness is something new that popped up after the last game. He went back to Los Angeles for better treatment. Lue hopes Leonard can play Thursday against the Nuggets.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 2, 2024
Azarly additionally reported that his sources said Leonard was “not expected to be out long enough to endanger his playoff availability, assuming the Clippers finish with a top-six seed.” However, Law Murray of The Athletic wrote at the same time that “while the Clippers remain unconcerned about his status overall, team sources maintain that they will not rush him back.”
The team is not providing any substantial updates
Besides the above, the Clippers have mostly been mum on any specifics regarding their perpetually mysterious star. Lue would initially not even confirm to the media whether or not Leonard got imaging done on his injured right knee:
Tyronn Lue says Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is gonna miss a couple games and refused to answer if he got an MRI on his knee:
“We’re not gonna get into the details of it, but he’s gonna miss a couple games and we need to be ready to step up as he goes through his rehab process.”
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 5, 2024
The reason for burbling skepticism about Leonard’s availability — and about the Clippers’ updates on it — is that this knee is the same one that Leonard tore his meniscus in during the 2023 NBA Playoffs, which the Clippers initially framed as a day-to-day “right knee sprain” before confirming the much worse injury after the postseason was over.
Leonard also partially tore his ACL in the same right knee during the 2021 NBA playoffs, later undergoing surgery that cost him the entire 2021-22 season.
Leonard is the Clippers’ consensus best player, and their chances of doing much — if