Kawhi Leonard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kawhi Leonard Ruled Out For Game 4 With Knee Sprain

April 21st, 2023 at 7:17pm CST by Rory Maher

Kawhi Leonard will miss his second consecutive game on Saturday due to a right knee sprain, as the Clippers have officially ruled him out of Game 4 of their first-round series against Phoenix, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Leonard reportedly sustained the injury in Game 1, but was able to play through it for the first two games of the series. However, he was ruled out of Thursday’s Game 3, which the Clippers wound up losing to fall behind in the series two games to one, and he will now miss Game 4 as well.

According to John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), there was optimism that Leonard might be able to return on Saturday, but obviously the team decided to be cautious with its best player. As Hollinger notes, the star forward will have multiple days of extra rest — Game 5 is set for Tuesday in Phoenix.

Leonard had been dominant through two games, averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .545/.600/.882 shooting in 40.2 minutes.

Norman Powell (42 points on 15-of-23 shooting, five rebounds, three assists) and Russell Westbrook (30 points on 11-of-23 shooting, 12 assists, eight rebounds, three steals) had huge performances in his absence yesterday, but the shorthanded Clippers — who were already playing without Paul George due to his own right knee sprain — lost by a final score of 129-124.

Head coach Tyronn Lue went with an unorthodox lineup of five guards in the fourth quarter of Game 3 (Powell, Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Terance Mann and Bones Hyland), and while the group had a lot of success on offense, it was unable to slow down Devin Booker and defensive rebounding was a struggle. It will be interesting to see Lue if utilizes another extreme small-ball group or tinkers the lineup further for Game 4 with Leonard once again sidelined.

Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Out For Game 3 With Knee Sprain

April 20th, 2023 at 2:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for Thursday’s Game 3 against the Suns due to a right knee sprain, a source tells ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the news (via Twitter).

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Leonard initially sustained the sprain during Game 1 on Sunday and played through it during Tuesday’s Game 2. He is considered day-to-day for Saturday’s Game 4, and the injury is not related to Leonard’s ACL tear from 2021, Wojnarowski adds.

The Clippers have already been playing without Paul George due to his own right knee sprain, though that injury is far more severe than Leonard’s seems to be. George will likely miss the entire first-round matchup with Phoenix.

The series has been quite competitive thus far, with the Clippers taking Game 1 in Phoenix before the Suns evened it at one game apiece in Game 2. Obviously, losing Leonard for at least Game 3 will have a huge impact, as he has been the best player in the series through two games, averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .545/.600/.882 shooting in 40.2 minutes.

It’s not realistic to replace that type of production with a single player, so the Clippers will need several contributors to step up on both ends of the court to win tonight. Terance Mann, Nicolas Batum, and Norman Powell are a few of the candidates for increased playing time.

Clippers Notes: Westbrook, Leonard, George, Fan Incident

April 17th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers understood what they were getting when they signed Russell Westbrook in February, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The 34-year-old guard may be an unreliable shooter who commits frustrating turnovers, but he’s also an extreme competitor that has brought some much-needed energy to the team.

That was on display Sunday night as Westbrook made one big play after another in the closing minutes to help L.A. win in Phoenix. The most significant was a block of Devin Booker‘s layup attempt with 10 seconds left, followed by a quick reaction to throw the ball out of bounds off Booker and give possession to the Clippers. Although he shot 3-of-19 from the field, Westbrook had 11 rebounds — five on the offensive end — along with eight assists, three blocks and two steals.

“It is [heart], it’s timing, it’s the will to win,” he said. “Be able to make plays. Understanding time, scoring, possession. At this position, humbly speaking, nobody a better rebounder than me.”

Westbrook was struggling through one of the worst shooting seasons of his career when the Lakers shipped him to Utah at the trade deadline. From the time he joined the Clippers after a buyout, coach Tyronn Lue has urged him to find other ways to contribute when his shot isn’t falling, and it’s a message he emphasized Sunday night.

“He was mad about missing shots,” Lue said. “And I said, ‘Listen, your shot is not important. Take good shots, take the right shots, but what you bring to our team is way more valuable, and that’s rebounding the basketball.’ That’s the three offensive rebounds at the end of game against the extra possession, the defense on (Kevin Durant), the stop on Book at the end, and defensively, he was locked in.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

Kawhi Leonard was brilliant in his first playoff game since suffering an ACL injury in the 2021 Western Conference semifinals, Youngmisuk adds. The Clippers have been careful with Leonard, who played just 52 games this season, but he was on the court for 42 minutes Sunday, delivering 38 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter. “That’s what we’ve been saving up for,” Lue said. “This moment here in the playoffs, we have to play heavy minutes, especially with (Paul George) being out, being short-handed, and he was great tonight.”
A report Sunday indicates that George is likely to miss the entire first round with a sprained right knee, and the players understand that they may have to grind out a few victories without their star teammate, per Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. “We gotta work,” Ivica Zubac said. “Missing PG, it’s big for us, so we know our chances to win this series is be physical, be aggressive, bring a lot of energy.”
The Suns are investigating an incident between a fan and Westbrook when he took a shortcut to the locker room through a club lounge area at halftime, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team issued a statement that read, “We are aware of the incident that happened tonight and are conducting a review.”

Kawhi Leonard, Bobby Portis Named Players Of The Week

April 10th, 2023 at 2:40pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Bucks forward/center Bobby Portis have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Leonard averaged 25.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists on .491/.389/.842 shooting in leading the Clippers to a 3-0 record last week. They secured the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face Phoenix in the first round.

In 52 games this season, the two-time Finals MVP averaged 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals on .512/.416/.871 shooting. Leonard is under contract at $45.6MM in 2023/24 and holds a $48.8MM player option for ’24/25.

Portis, the East’s winner, averaged 20.0 points and 12.3 boards on .447/.591/.636 shooting in three games last week. The Bucks went 2-1 in those contests and 2-2 overall last week, resting some key players as they locked up the NBA’s top overall seed for the playoffs.

The 28-year-old averaged 14.1 points and a career-high 9.6 rebounds on .496/.370/.768 shooting in 70 games this season, primarily off the bench (22 starts, 26.0 minutes). The veteran big man should get some votes for Sixth Man of the Year following his strong regular season. Portis is under contract through at least ’24/25 with a player option for ’25/26.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Brandon Ingram and LeBron James, while Jimmy Butler, Portis’ teammate Jrue Holiday, Immanuel Quickley and Pascal Siakam were nominated in the East.

Los Angeles Notes: Leonard, Gordon, Showdown, Davis

April 2nd, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard played his first back-to-back since April 2021 over the weekend and his body held up well. He played 59 total minutes across the two games and didn’t have any issues, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

“We’ll see how I feel (Sunday) but right now I feel pretty good,” he said.

Leonard had 40 points against New Orleans but the Clippers still suffered their second straight loss.

We have more from the Los Angeles teams:

Eric Gordon missed Saturday’s game, but the Clippers don’t seem too concerned about his hip injury, Greif adds in another tweet. The Clippers don’t play again until Wednesday, giving Gordon extra time to recover.
The Clippers entered Sunday with a tenuous hold on the sixth spot in the Western Conference, which would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament. They have a showdown with the Lakers, one of the teams breathing down their necks, in their next outing. “We got a big game coming up on Wednesday,” coach Tyronn Lue told Law Murray of The Athletic and other media members. “It’s a big, big game for us. (Saturday) was a big game for us, but now losing tonight makes Wednesday’s game even bigger.”
The Lakers had won five of their last six games heading into Sunday’s contest against Houston. Anthony Davis posted back-to-back 38-point games in their last two outings despite a scary looking ankle injury, which was determined not to be serious. Davis believes the reconfigured Lakers are poised to make a deep playoff run, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. “I think we’ve got everything we need. It’s just about going out and applying it,” Davis said. “We can definitely make a run. We’ve got all the right pieces from top to bottom.”

Injury Updates: Randle, Clippers, Sixers, Wolves, Blazers

March 29th, 2023 at 9:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks received both good and bad news on Wednesday night versus Miami. The good news is point guard Jalen Brunson was able to play after missing the past two games with a sprained right hand, and the Knicks came away with an important victory (Twitter link via the team).

The bad news is power forward Julius Randle sprained his left ankle after landing on Bam Adebayo‘s foot following an offensive rebound (YouTube link), with Randle remaining on the floor for a while in pain. He stayed in the game to shoot free throws, but headed back to the locker room with a trainer.

Randle was able to limp off the floor on his own, but as soon as he was back in the team’s tunnel he was bent over in discomfort. The Knicks later ruled him out for the remainder of the contest (via Twitter).

Hopefully the injury isn’t severe, particularly so late in the season. Randle has appeared in all 77 games for the Knicks and was named to his second All-Star team last month.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was ruled out of Wednesday’s game in Memphis due to personal reasons, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter links). Head coach Tyronn Lue said the team is hopeful Leonard will only be out one game. On a positive note, Norman Powell was able to return to action after missing the past 11 games with a shoulder injury — he was previously listed as questionable.
Sixers stars Joel Embiid (calf soreness) and James Harden (Achilles soreness) were active for Wednesday’s game vs. Dallas, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report the news (via Twitter). Embiid missed Monday’s loss in Denver with the injury, while Harden had missed four straight games.
The Timberwolves had several late additions to their injury report (Twitter link) ahead of tonight’s game in Phoenix. Kyle Anderson, Anthony Edwards, Taurean Prince, Austin Rivers and Matt Ryan are all dealing with an illness that head coach Chris Finch described as an “intestinal flu,” according to Chis Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). Edwards and Anderson were able to suit up, but the Wolves later ruled out (via Twitter) the other three players as well as Jaylen Nowell, who continues to battle left knee tendinopathy.
In addition to four starters being held out with various injuries and surgeries sidelining a couple other players, the Trail Blazers added three young players to Wednesday’s injury report ahead of their matchup with Sacramento (Twitter link). Second-year guard Keon Johnson is out with a fractured right finger, while second-year big man Trendon Watford will miss his second straight game with a sprained right ankle. Fourth-year wing Cam Reddish is doubtful due to lumbar soreness.

Pacific Notes: James, Ayton, Clippers, Payton II

March 26th, 2023 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James had 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes during his return to action on Sunday, but the Lakers lost 118-108 to Chicago. James said if he had listened to some medical experts, he would have been shut down for the season, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter links).

James, who missed 13 consecutive games, said he tore a tendon in his right foot — an injury that typically takes longer than just four weeks of recovery. Doctors told him he healed from the injury faster than they’ve ever seen. The Lakers superstar got recommendations from two doctors to undergo season-ending surgery, but he went to see the “LeBron James of feet,” who helped to get him back on the court.

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Deandre Ayton missed the Suns’ win over Philadelphia on Saturday and has now been sidelined for four consecutive games due to a right hip contusion. However, there’s optimism he’ll return on Monday — he has been listed as probable to play against Utah, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The Clippers have lost three of their last five games, including a 21-point defeat administered by New Orleans. The Pelicans controlled the game from the start and Kawhi Leonard left the game in the third quarter with a facial bruise after being elbowed. The Clippers play four games in six games, beginning on Monday night, and need a strong finish to avoid the play-in tournament, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes. “It’s tough to dig yourself a hole and try to climb out every single night,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “We got to be better starting games.” Leonard is probable to play on Monday, Greif tweets.
As expected, Gary Payton II was available to play for the first time since the Warriors re-acquired him from the Trail Blazers at the trade deadline, Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets. He had been sidelined by a right adductor injury.

L.A. Notes: Russell, SGA, AD, George, Clippers

March 24th, 2023 at 8:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell will miss Friday’s key matchup against the Thunder due to a right hip injury. Dennis Schröder will start in his place.

“It’s not too serious, but serious enough where we need to manage him,” Ham said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Ham added that Russell is considered day-to-day.

The Thunder, meanwhile, will have their best player available, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is active after previously being listed as questionable with a nagging abdominal strain (Twitter links via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman).

The Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder and Pelicans are all currently tied at 36-37 in the Nos. 8-11 spots in the West. The Wolves (No. 7) sit at 37-37, while the Jazz (No. 12) are 35-37.

Here’s more from Los Angeles:

In a lengthy interview with McMenamin, Lakers star Anthony Davis expressed confidence in the team’s retooled roster, and it sounds as though he would like to see the group stick together beyond this season. “If we actually have a full summer, full training camp, go through an entire season, who knows the position we’ll be in,” Davis said. ” … The team we have now, we feel like not only can we make noise this year, and I like our chance against anybody to be honest. You put anybody against us, I like our chances. … Who knows what we could be, what threat we could be next year and then years to come if they work it out and are able to keep this group together.” As McMenamin notes, beyond Davis, LeBron James and Max Christie, no other player has a fully guaranteed contract for 2023/24, so the Lakers will have a lot of decisions to make this summer.
The Clippers were glad that Paul George avoided a major injury when he sprained his knee. He’s expected to be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks, but if the Clippers clinch a top-six seed and a berth in the playoffs, George potentially returning in a first-round series is considered “optimistic,” according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Eric Gordon will start in George’s stead for the rest of the season, Youngmisuk writes.
It’s impossible to replace a player of George’s caliber, so multiple players will have to step up to make up for his lost production on both ends of the court. Law Murray of The Athletic believes Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, Gordon, Terance Mann and Norman Powell are the top candidates for more responsibilities with George sidelined. Powell has been out with a shoulder injury, but he has been getting on-court work in and is close to a return, per Murray.

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Bradley, Leonard, Collins, Sabonis

March 21st, 2023 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Centers Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley worked out for the Lakers on Monday, Darvin Ham confirmed, but the head coach said there’s no “imminent” plan to sign either to the team’s final roster spot, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets.

The Lakers wanted to make sure that if they feel the need to sign another player, they’ve already worked him out, Ham explained. Los Angeles could have a need for another big since Mohamed Bamba may miss the rest of the regular season with a high left ankle sprain.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Clippers have won five of their last six games, moving up to fifth place in the Western Conference. Kawhi Leonard believes the club could have a special playoff run, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes. “It’s a feeling when you know you have a great team,” he said. “It’s not always [leading] to a championship, it’s just about you knowing that everybody’s on the same page. It’s just a continuous motion. It’s hard to explain. Yeah, there’s something special. You got to feel it, and then you’ll know.”
The Kings added Kevin Huerter last summer as a shooter to play off of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis but the team pursued another Hawks player before they acquired Sabonis from Indiana, Zach Lowe of ESPN reports. They were interested in power forward John Collins and nearly closed a deal with the Hawks that would have sent Harrison Barnes and a protected 2022 first-round pick to Atlanta for Collins. That deal fell apart as the Sabonis one emerged.
Speaking of the Sabonis deal with the Pacers, Fox told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that the versatile big man was just what the team needed to take the next step, even though they had gave up Tyrese Haliburton. “It shocked everybody,” Fox said. “Not only fans and media. It shocked the team as well. Seeing the player we were getting back is obviously big. Someone who’s that big, skilled – a very unique skillset – I felt like he was going to make us better.”

Clippers Notes: Leonard, Westbrook, Gordon, Ballmer

March 18th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers aren’t playing Kawhi Leonard in back-to-back games, even though their record is terrible when he’s not available. Leonard sat out today’s contest due to injury management on his right knee, and L.A. had a four-game winning streak snapped by Orlando. The Clippers have lost their last seven games without Leonard and are just 3-14 since mid-November when he doesn’t play, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.

Leonard is expected to return for Sunday’s contest at Portland, but his absence was obvious today, especially on defense, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. L.A. gave up 39 points in the fourth quarter while letting a lead slip away, and Russell Westbrook said it’s up to everyone else to step up their game when Leonard is sitting out.

“There’s no excuse for tonight,” he said. “We just didn’t close the game like we were supposed to, make the right plays like we needed to.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

Westbrook took the blame for today’s loss even though most of his numbers were pretty good, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The veteran guard finished with 14 points, nine assists and five rebounds in 37 minutes. However, he committed six turnovers and went 0-for-3 from three-point range, dropping him to just 4-of-22 from long distance over the past seven games. “He’s a professional,” Paul George said. “He’s a veteran. Top 75 player. He’s going to get through it. He knows to stay confident, he knows that we trust him and got his back, that he’s going to stay in attack mode. I don’t ever worry about Russ’ shooting. I just know what he brings and his value to the team. And that is bigger than anything. He just does so much other stuff that I don’t care. He plays hard and that’s a guy that I want to roll with.”
Eric Gordon feels at home after the Clippers acquired him from Houston at the trade deadline, Carr adds in another Orange County Register story. Gordon, who started his career with L.A., has been a smooth fit since returning. “It definitely means a lot (to be back),” he said. “This was a situation I’ve always wanted to be in and looking forward to. We got a lot of talented guys and I think I kind of fit the mold of how they play and how they do things. It’s great to be back.”
Owner Steve Ballmer talked about the progress of the Clippers’ next home, the Intuit Dome, with Jabari Young of Forbes (subscription required).