Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had an injection in his knee in early April, league sources said. Leonard missed the final eight games of the regular season and hasn’t played since March 31.
The All-Star forward managed his healthiest season since arriving in Los Angeles, playing in 68 games (his most since 2016-17) while averaging a career-high 34.3 minutes per game this season.
Without Leonard, the Clippers finished the year 4-4 and found themselves in the Western Conference’s No. 4 spot with a first-round matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Wednesday the team is preparing to have Leonard on the court for the series, which begins Sunday.
“We just take it day by day,” Lue said. “He’s getting better and we’ll see how much he continues to progress.”
Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists this season, making his first All-Star team since 2021. He has a well-documented injury history, which includes multiple right knee injuries. He missed all of 2021-22 recovering from surgery for an ACL tear and missed nearly all of the 2017-18 season with right quadriceps tendinopathy.
The Clippers went 7-7 without Leonard this season and have a 2-1 against the Mavericks on the season. The Clippers and Mavericks have matched up in the first round of the playoffs three times in the past five seasons.
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