Clippers Rumors

Kawhi Leonard Won’t Play In Game 4

Kawhi Leonard will sit out Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN and other media members (Twitter link). Another prominent Clippers forward, Marcus Morris, will be a game-time decision.

Leonard hasn’t played since injuring his knee during Game 5 of L.A.’s second-round series against the Jazz.

The Clippers are officially calling Leonard’s knee injury a sprain, but few details have been released about the severity. There was concern last week that he might have damaged his ACL, but there’s been no confirmation one way or the other.

Leonard was averaging 30.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 4.4 APG in 11 postseason games prior to the injury.

Morris played 24 minutes in the Clippers’ Game 3 victory over Phoenix, contributing eight points and five rebounds in 24 minutes. He’s also been battling a knee issue.

The Suns lead the series 2-1.

Draft Notes: Workouts, Aluma, T. Williams, Hurt, McBride

The Timberwolves and Jazz are hosting pre-draft group workouts in Minneapolis from July 8-11, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, the event will be open to all 30 NBA teams and the goal will be to have 48 prospects participate over that four-day period.

In past years when teams have brought in groups of prospects for pre-draft workouts, they’ve typically hosted six players at a time. If the event in Minneapolis follows a similar pattern, it could showcase two groups of six players apiece on each day from July 8-11.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

  • Virginia Tech forward Keve Aluma is returning to school for another year, he announced on Twitter. Aluma had been testing the draft waters after 15.2 PPG and 7.9 RPG in 22 games (30.6 MPG) as a junior in 2020/21.
  • Purdue forward Trevion Williams is also pulling out of the draft and heading back to school, per a Twitter announcement. Williams put up 15.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG in 28 games (25.1 MPG) for the Boilemakers as a junior this year, earning All-Big Ten honors.
  • Duke forward Matthew Hurt has workouts on tap with the Celtics, Thunder, Pelicans, Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
  • West Virginia guard Miles McBride has worked out for the Knicks and Celtics in addition to interviewing with several teams, tweets Alder Almo of Empire Sports Media.

Chris Paul To Return For Game 3

JUNE 24: Paul will be available for Game 3, the Suns officially announced today (Twitter link).


JUNE 23: Barring a setback prior to Thursday night, Suns point guard Chris Paul intends to return to action for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals in Los Angeles, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

A report late on Tuesday night indicated that the Suns were optimistic that Paul – who has been in the NBA’s health and safety protocols since early last week after testing positive for COVID-19 – would be cleared for Game 3.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 noted earlier today (via Twitter) that Paul would have to go through a process that includes a mini-physical and cardiac screening for myocarditis before he received medical clearance. Haynes’ report suggests CP3 has taken that step. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that the point guard passed a cardio exam on Wednesday morning, which Haynes says was the final step to clear the protocols.

We’ll have to wait for an official update from the Suns to confirm Paul’s availability for Thursday, but for now it sounds like he’s trending toward a return.

While Phoenix is on the verge of getting its All-NBA star back, it remains to be seen when the Clippers’ All-NBA First Team forward, Kawhi Leonard, will return. Leonard has missed the team’s last four games due to a knee sprain.

The Suns are up 2-0 on L.A. in the best-of-seven series.

Kawhi Leonard Ruled Out For Game 3

The Clippers have another 0-2 hole to climb out of, but this time they’ll have to do it without Kawhi Leonard. The star forward has officially been ruled out of Thursday’s Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

Leonard hasn’t played since hurting his knee nine days ago in Game 5 of L.A.’s series against the Jazz. The Clippers managed to win the final two games of that series without him, but are staring at a deficit again after dropping back-to-back games in Phoenix.

Coach Tyronn Lue said over the weekend that he’s preparing to play the entire conference finals without Leonard, just to avoid the game-to-game uncertainty of whether he’ll be available.

The Clippers are officially calling Leonard’s knee injury a sprain, but few details have been released about the severity. There was concern last week that he might have damaged his ACL, but no one has confirmed whether that happened.

2021 NBA Draft Picks By Team

It wasn’t a great night for the Thunder at Tuesday’s draft lottery. The team had about a two-in-three chance that its own first-round pick would land in the top five and nearly a 50-50 chance that Houston’s pick would slide to No. 5, allowing OKC to swap the No. 18 selection for it. Instead, the Rockets kept their own pick and the Thunder’s selection slipped to No. 6.

Still, no NBA team has more draft picks in 2021 than the Thunder, who control three first-round selections and three more second-rounders.

The Pelicans, Pistons, Knicks, and Nets join them as teams that hold at least four draft picks this year. Those five clubs currently control 23 of the 60 picks in the 2021 draft, so it’s probably safe to assume they’ll be active on the trade market before or during the draft.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2021 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 60 picks by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

  • Oklahoma City Thunder (6): 6, 16, 18, 34, 36, 55
  • Brooklyn Nets (5): 27, 29, 44, 49, 59
  • Detroit Pistons (4): 1, 37, 42, 52
  • New Orleans Pelicans (4): 17, 35, 43, 51
  • New York Knicks (4): 19, 21, 32, 58
  • Houston Rockets (3): 2, 23, 24
  • Toronto Raptors (3): 4, 46, 47
  • Orlando Magic (3): 5, 8, 33
  • Charlotte Hornets (3): 11, 56, 57
  • Indiana Pacers (3): 13, 54, 60
  • Philadelphia 76ers (3): 28, 50, 53

Teams with two picks:

  • Golden State Warriors: 7, 14
  • Sacramento Kings: 9, 39
  • San Antonio Spurs: 12, 41
  • Memphis Grizzlies: 10, 40
  • Atlanta Hawks: 20, 48

Teams with one pick:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers: 3
  • Washington Wizards: 15
  • Los Angeles Lakers: 22
  • Los Angeles Clippers: 25
  • Denver Nuggets: 26
  • Utah Jazz: 30
  • Milwaukee Bucks: 31
  • Chicago Bulls: 38
  • Boston Celtics: 45

Teams with no picks:

  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Miami Heat
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers

Suns Hopeful Chris Paul Will Be Available For Game 3

Chris Paul has missed the first two games of the Western Conference Semifinals after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, but there’s optimism within the Suns‘ organization that the veteran point guard could be available for Game 3 on Thursday, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski.

[RELATED: Chris Paul Symptom-Free, Hoping To Return Soon]

Paul had only been isolated for six days as of Tuesday, and players who tested positive for the coronavirus during the regular season typically missed at least 10-14 days. However, ESPN’s duo notes that the NBA has different standards for players who have been vaccinated. Multiple reports have stated that CP3 has been vaccinated.

Despite his vaccination status, the expectation is that Paul will still need to test negative for the virus before being cleared. He hadn’t received clearance as of the start of Game 2 on Tuesday, per McMenamin and Wojnarowski.

The Suns haven’t really missed Paul in the first two games of the series, winning both contests in Phoenix as replacement point guard Cameron Payne averaged 20.0 PPG and 9.0 APG. However, as the series shifts to Los Angeles, the Suns would undoubtedly feel better about their chances of making the NBA Finals with their All-NBA point guard on the floor.

Community Shootaround: Clippers-Suns Game 2

The Clippers have faced adversity in each of the first two rounds during this year’s playoffs, and the Western Conference Finals seem to be shaping up no differently.

The Clippers rallied from down 0-2 to Luka Doncic and the Mavericks to win Game Seven, thanks to a well-rounded team effort in round one. In round two, they once again started out down 0-2 to the one-seed Jazz, only to win the next four games in a row, weathering the loss of star Kawhi Leonard to take the final two games in convincing fashion. In doing so, the Clippers became the only team to overcome a 2-0 deficit in multiple series during a single playoff run.

Much of the team’s recent success has been due to Paul George‘s stellar two-way play. The All Star wing has averaged 31.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 5.3 APG, and shot 43.6% from three over his last six games, while providing lock-down, versatile defense. George previously spoke of the feeling of getting “the monkey off the Clippers’ back” in regard to making it past the second round, and it seems that he’s feeling some of that same looseness personally.

Now, once again, the Clippers find themselves down heading into Game Two. Despite another strong game from George, in which he scored 34 points and defended Suns‘ star Devin Booker well all night, it wasn’t enough, as Booker managed to overcome the defense en route to a 40-point triple-double and a six-point victory. Booker became the third-youngest player to record a 40-point triple-double in the playoffs – only Doncic and Oscar Robertson accomplished the feat earlier – and the first Sun to do so since Charles Barkley in 1993.

The Suns are as hot as they’ve ever been. They haven’t lost a game since the third game of the playoffs, and Booker proved his ability to put the team on his back and be a play-maker in the absence of Chris Paul, at least for one game. The question will be if he can sustain that level of play should Paul’s absence continue.

Even if Booker drops off, though, the Suns have generally had a wide range of players they’ve been able to rely on. Third-year center Deandre Ayton has had a breakout playoffs, and has been a consistent source of two-way production. Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Torrey Craig have all provided scoring and shooting while forming a tight-knit defensive wing rotation, and Cameron Payne has been solid in his role, stepping up to score 11 points and dish out nine assists as he filled in for Paul.

On the other hand, the Clippers’ role players have been a little more sporadic in their contributions. Reggie Jackson has been a consistent source of offense, and Terance Mann has had moments of excellence, but if the Clippers want any hope at making it to the Finals, they’re going to need more from guys like Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, and Patrick Beverley, among others.

This is especially true because, while both players are still on unspecified timetables, it seems likely that Paul could be cleared for a return before Leonard.

All of that makes Game Two a crucial one for the Clippers, who want to avoid a third straight series down 2-0. If the Clippers can split the two road games, and get one while Paul is still out, it bodes well for their chances in the series. If not, they will still have a shot, but it certainly makes things tougher — especially if CP3 does return for the later games.

So the question of the day is: Who will win Game Two between the Clippers and Suns, and who will win the individual duel between George and Booker?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Middleton, Love, Holiday Expected To Play For U.S. Olympic Team

2:22pm: Paul won’t play for Team USA after all, according to Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the Suns point guard has declined an invitation to join the squad for the Tokyo games.

However, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has committed to Team USA, per Wojnarowski (via Twitter). He’ll take the backcourt spot that CP3 would’ve occupied, leaving one open spot on the tentative roster.


11:39am: USA Basketball continues to secure commitments for the Tokyo Olympics, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Bucks guard/forward Khris Middleton and Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love have committed to play for Team USA in Tokyo, their agents at Excel Basketball tell Wojnarowski. Meanwhile, sources inform Charania that Suns point guard Chris Paul plans to commit to the team as well.

The new series of additions means Team USA’s Olympic roster is now up to 11 tentative commitments, as follows:

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell turned down an invite from USA Basketball, opting to use the offseason for recovery and rehab following his right ankle injury, tweets Wojnarowski. After a few weeks of deliberation, Warriors star Stephen Curry has also decided not to represent Team USA in Tokyo, Charania notes (via Twitter). So neither Mitchell nor Curry will fill the 12th and final spot on the squad.

That 12th spot may be reserved for Paul George, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Before CP3’s commitment was reported, Vardon wrote that the Suns guard and the Clippers forward would be the favorites to get spots on Team USA if they’re willing to play.

Of course, the Suns and Clippers remain alive in the postseason, and at least one of them will be playing in the NBA Finals until at least mid-July. As Vardon relays, Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said that Booker intends to play in Tokyo even if the Suns make it to the Finals and have to play a seven-game series. It’s unclear if Paul – and George, if he commits – will take a similar position.

Morris Knee Injury Leaves Status Uncertain For Game 2

  • Though Suns point guard Chris Paul will miss at least the first two games of Phoenix’s Western Conference Finals matchup against the Clippers, the 11-time All-Star has managed to remain a vocal figure even from a distance, writes Mark Medina of USA Today“We put him on FaceTime,” All-Star Suns shooting guard Devin Booker said. “We lean on him for a lot, and we know how disappointed he is and frustrated he couldn’t be out here for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, especially knowing his past history around this time. But we know we had him all the way through. We brought him in the locker room. We had him in our after-game huddle. So he’s proud of us.” Paul continues to grapple with the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols and will miss Game 2 of the series on Tuesday.
  • Clippers forward Marcus Morris suffered a knee injury during the first half of the Clippers’ 120-114 Game 1 loss to the Suns on Sunday. Though Morris is not on the club’s official injury report ahead of Game 2 yet, L.A. coach Tyronn Lue said that he was unsure whether Morris would suit on Tuesday, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

Chris Paul To Miss Game 2 Of Conference Finals

All-Star Suns point guard Chris Paul will miss his second straight game of the team’s Western Conference Finals matchup against the Clippers on Tuesday, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

Gambadoro notes that Paul is still in the NBA’s health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19.

[RELATED: Chris Paul Symptom-Free, Hoping To Return Soon]

The club won its first game in the series on Sunday, 120-114, largely on the strength of a 40-point triple-double from Paul’s All-Star backcourt mate Devin Booker.

This marks just the second time in Paul’s 16-year career that the 11-time All-Star has earned a conference finals appearance. In the playoffs thus far, the 36-year-old is averaging 15.7 PPG, 8.7 APG, and 4.1 RPG in 31.2 MPG. He boasts a stellar shooting line of .509/.444/.912.