Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (knee) will miss rest of preseason

Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard (knee) will miss the remainder of preseason, including Thursday's game vs. the Kings.

BY FIELD LEVEL MEDIA

Oct 15, 2024, 7:03 AM

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 12: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers jumps to pass around Dom...

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will miss the entire preseason due to a right knee injury that calls into question his availability for the start of the regular season.

With Los Angeles’ regular-season opener against the visiting Phoenix Suns set for Oct. 23, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Monday of the immediate outlook for Leonard, “Continue to keep rehabbing. Keep getting better. Keep checking the boxes.”

Leonard played in just Games 2 and 3 of the Clippers’ six-game loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs this past spring because of issues with his right knee.

Tyronn Lue says Kawhi Leonard will not play today or Thursday, so he’s out for the whole Clippers’ preseason.

What’s he gonna do this week?

“Continue to keep rehabbing, keep getting better, and keep checking the boxes.” pic.twitter.com/HdNEildjUo

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) October 15, 2024

More on Kawhi Leonard

Health woes have plagued Leonard, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and two-time Finals MVP (with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and the Toronto Raptors in 2019).

In the 2023 playoffs, he sat out the final three games of the Clippers’ five-game, first-round loss to the Suns. Leonard missed Los Angeles’ last eight postseason games in 2021 after hurting his right knee, and he sat out the entire 2021-22 season after having his anterior cruciate ligament surgically repaired.

Leonard, 33, played in 52 regular-season games (50 starts) in 2022-23 and in 68 games (all starts) last season.

He was named an All-Star for the sixth time in 2023-24, when he wound up with averages of 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals.

For his career, Leonard puts up 20.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.

He played with the Spurs from 2011-12 to 2017-18, with the Raptors for just the 2018-19 season and with the Clippers ever since.

–Field Level Media

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will head into its final week of preseason with two games—both on the road—remaining on its exhibition schedule.

The Kings will head to Salt Lake City for a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.

Be sure to catch all of the action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PDT on The Drive Guys before action tips off at 6:00 PM PDT from the Delta Center.