Kawhi Leonard to be sidelined indefinitely due to knee inflammation

Kawhi Leonard to be sidelined indefinitely due to knee inflammation

Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss an indefinite period of time to begin the 2024-25 season due to recovering from right knee inflammation, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania first reported Thursday.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is expected to be sidelined for indefinite period of time to start the NBA season as he rehabilitates the inflammation in his right knee, league sources tell me and @NotoriousOHM. pic.twitter.com/M5wFYIWGiv

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 17, 2024

This came almost a month after it was reported that Leonard would sit out drills during training camp due to recovering from the knee injury; he was basically without a timetable for return, though we knew he would miss the start of the season.

The latter part is still the case, though it appears to be more serious than we may have initially thought. Leonard was held off Team USA due to his knee, which kept him out for 12 of the team’s final 14 games last season after playing 68 contests, his most since 2016-17.

It was a rough offseason for Los Angeles, who lost Paul George for nothing to Philadelphia while bringing in Nicolas Batum, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr. They may not bottom out, but they also don’t own their 2025 first-round pick due to the George trade; Oklahoma City has a chance to either swap its pick with Los Angeles’ or Houston’s (top-10 protected).

2024-25 NBA Season Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder

It’s also tough to feel good for this fanbase after five years of disappointment from Leonard and George, who both missed plenty of time due to injuries. Now, it’s the same circus–just without George. Clippers fans have been tormented and it doesn’t appear to be getting any better from a competitive standpoint.

Ty Lue is one of the best coaches in the league, and I think they will rattle off early-season wins minus Leonard solely because of him (and Jeff Van Gundy, who’s running the defense). but I am not bullish on this team’s standing over an 82-game season if Leonard misses a considerable amount of time–especially in this loaded Western Conference with plenty of talent to go around.

***

This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates

Click Here for more NBA Content

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out the Vendetta Shop