LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard to miss rest of preseason and possibly beginning of regular season

By Matias Grez, CNN

(CNN) — Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will miss the rest of the preseason due to inflammation in his right knee, head coach Ty Lue said on Monday.

Leonard, a two-time NBA champion, is yet to play for the Clippers this preseason and will sit out the team’s final warmup game against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.

Lue said Leonard would “continue to keep rehabbing” his knee this week, according to Reuters.

“Keep getting better. Keep checking the boxes,” he added ahead of the team’s 110-96 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

The 33-year-old Leonard, a six-time All-Star, missed the last eight games of the 2023-24 regular season and four of the Clippers’ six games in their first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks due issues with his right knee.

He underwent surgeries to repair his ACL and meniscus in 2021 and missed the entire 2021-22 season.

The two-time Finals MVP was set to play for Team USA at the Paris Olympics but was later replaced by Derrick White.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last month that Leonard underwent a procedure on his right knee during the offseason.

Ahead of the preseason, Clippers executive Lawrence Frank said Leonard – who in January signed a three-year, $153M extension with the franchise – would be kept out of team drills to “focus on strengthening” his troublesome knee.

The Clippers begin their regular season campaign at the team’s new Intuit Dome against the Phoenix Suns on October 23, with Leonard’s start for the opener uncertain.

Last week, Lue said he was “not sure” if Leonard would be able to play against Phoenix.

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