Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard underwent a procedure on his right knee in the offseason, Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic report (Twitter link).
It’s a troubling development as the Clippers head into training camp. Leonard will be limited in training camp, and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank isn’t sure if Leonard will be ready to play by the season opener. But Frank also indicated during a press conference on Tuesday that he expects Leonard to have a “great year” and that his star forward feels he’s trending in the right direction (Twitter links here).
Leonard was sidelined at the end of the 2023/24 season due to right knee inflammation. He missed the last eight games of the regular season and first game of the playoffs due to the ailment. The 33-year-old returned for Game 2 and Game 3 vs. Dallas, then sat out the final three contests of the Clippers’ first-round loss.
Leonard was on Team USA’s roster but was replaced shortly before the Paris Olympics due to health concerns.
Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 34.3 minutes per game last season. He started 68 regular season games, the most he’s appeared in since he started 74 games for San Antonio in the 2016/17 season. He signed a three-year max extension with the Clippers in January.