Los Angeles Clippers ahead Kawhi Leonard can be prepared for coaching camp on Oct. 1 as he recovers from a knee harm. The final time Leonard was noticed on the court docket was in July at Group USA’s camp in Las Vegas earlier than he was changed on the roster by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White.
“I converse to him on a regular basis,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue mentioned, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “He’ll be prepared for [Clippers] coaching camp. He’s feeling good and I do know he’ll be prepared for coaching camp.”
Leonard, 33, handled knee irritation all through the tip of the 2023-24 season. The 13-year veteran was initially anticipated to hitch the U.S. males’s nationwide crew within the Paris Olympics.
Kawhi handles on lock 🔒#NBAHandlesWeek pic.twitter.com/O6HoYUossd
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) August 27, 2024
Nevertheless, his knee harm pressured him out. Knee points have plagued Leonard all through his tenure with Los Angeles, as he’s solely performed over 60 video games in only one season since becoming a member of the crew in 2019. He additionally missed the whole 2021-22 marketing campaign on account of a torn ACL.
The worldwide multi-sport occasion would have been the primary Olympic journey for Leonard, who missed 12 of the Clippers’ ultimate 14 video games of the 2023-24 season with proper knee irritation.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has missed 256 regular-season video games during the last seven years
In 68 video games (all begins) with the Clippers final season, Leonard averaged 23.7 factors, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 34.3 minutes per contest whereas capturing a career-best 52.5% from the ground, 41.7% from 3-point vary, and 88.5% on the free throw line.
In Los Angeles’ 117-103 win over the Utah Jazz on Dec. 8, 2023, he recorded a season-high 41 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and one block in 39 minutes of motion.
The Clippers went 9-9 final season in complete video games (common season and postseason) with out the two-time NBA champ. Los Angeles gained Video games 1 and 4 of its first-round playoff collection towards the Dallas Mavericks with out Leonard. However, the crew nonetheless misplaced Video games 5 and 6 with out the six-time All-NBA member.
In response to the Basketball-Reference database, Leonard has missed 256 regular-season video games during the last seven years, together with the whole 2021-22 marketing campaign. His 68 video games final season for the Clippers had been his most since taking part in in 74 with the San Antonio Spurs in 2016-17.
In January, Leonard and the Clippers agreed to a three-year, $153 million contract extension. His new deal carries no participant possibility. Although, it consists of $52 million within the first 12 months and about $50 million per season over the following two years.
Leonard had till June 30 to signal an extension with a $48.7 million participant possibility for the 2024-25 season. The six-time All-Star earned $45.64 million final season. That is a part of the four-year, $176.24 million deal he signed with Los Angeles in August 2021.
