Kawhi Leonard Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Alvarado, Nance, Hart

March 25th, 2022 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

As William Guillory of The Athletic observes, it’s no coincidence that Zion Williamson – typically not very active on social media – posted a video of him throwing down a between-the-legs windmill dunk just days after Shams Charania reported that he likely won’t return this season. It also doesn’t seem like a coincidence that the Pelicans cleared him for increased activity shortly after that video was posted, Guillory writes.

There’s “an air of silent cold war brewing” between the Pelicans and Williamson, according to Scott Kushner of NOLA.com, who writes that the star forward clearly wants to play this season, while the team – wary of risking his long-term health – is reluctant to let him.

It’s a difficult spot for the Pelicans, who reportedly frustrated Williamson during his rookie year by playing it safe with his knee injury and holding him out longer than he felt was necessary. The two sides are about to enter a crucial offseason, with the former No. 1 overall pick eligible for a rookie scale extension.

Before that offseason begins, Williamson, his camp, and the Pelicans’ top decision-makers need to come together to agree on a decision about his status for this season, Guillory opines. If all the involved parties can get on the same page on that issue, it should create a more comfortable starting point when they approach extension talks in the summer.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Christian Clark of NOLA.com examines some of the similarities and differences between Williamson’s lengthy injury rehab process this season and Kawhi Leonard‘s injury recovery process during his final year in San Antonio.
Within his weekly “10 Things” column for ESPN, Zach Lowe highlights the impact that Jose Alvarado has had in New Orleans and says he’d be shocked if the team doesn’t convert Alvarado’s two-way contract to a standard deal soon. Doing so would ensure that the rookie guard is eligible for the play-in tournament and playoffs.
William Guillory and John Hollinger of The Athletic discuss several topics related to the Pelicans’ future, weighing the possibility of a Williamson extension, considering whether or not Alvarado’s emergence changes the backcourt plans going forward, and evaluating the team’s chances of earning a playoff spot next month.
Following up on last month’s revelation that good friends Larry Nance Jr. and Josh Hart temporarily swapped houses when they were traded for one another, Andrew Lopez of ESPN takes an entertaining, in-depth look at what that arrangement has looked like.

Paul George Shows Progress In Recovery From Elbow Injury

March 21st, 2022 at 10:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George is progressing in his rehab and Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he’s willing to play George, Kawhi Leonard or Norman Powell when they’re ready, even if they don’t return before the end of the regular season, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

George has not played since December 22 due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He participated in a 4-on-4 practice against assistant coaches with minimal contact on Sunday.

“He’s feeling better,” Lue said. “That is part of his rehab, having minimal contact with the coaches and trying to get his wind and just kind of see how he feels. To get him on the court for the first time was really good to see, got to continue to keep working and see how he is feeling going forward.”

The Clippers, who have lost three straight, are essentially locked into the play-in tournament. They’re currently eighth in the Western Conference, 6.5 games behind the sixth- and seventh-place Timberwolves and Nuggets with nine games to play. They’re 4.5 games ahead of the ninth-place Lakers.

Leonard hasn’t played this season after undergoing knee surgery last summer. Powell, who fractured a bone in his left foot shortly after he was acquired from Portland at the trade deadline, shed his walking boot last week but hasn’t yet cleared been cleared for contact, according to Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register.

Lue won’t hesitate to use any of them in the playoffs.

“To hit the playoffs going at 100, from zero to 100, that is pretty tough. But if the medical guys say they are cleared and they are able to do that, that is totally up to them,” he said.

Injury Notes: Leonard, George, Bulls, D. Green, Reddish

March 9th, 2022 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard took part in a “rigorous” pregame workout that lasted well over an hour on Tuesday, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports said during TNT’s broadcast (video link via Justin Russo). According to Haynes, it looked like Leonard had “zero limitations” during that workout, but head coach Tyronn Lue said the two-time Finals MVP still hasn’t been cleared for contact, as Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group relays.

Although Kawhi is clearly making progress, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski stated on Wednesday’s episode of NBA Today that a return this season is “more realistic” for teammate Paul George than for Leonard (video link). The Clippers haven’t ruled out the possibility of Leonard playing this spring, but Woj notes that it’s still been less than eight months since he underwent ACL surgery, which would be a very quick turnaround even if his recovery is ahead of schedule.

The Clippers are in position to make the play-in tournament and could extend their season by earning one of the West’s final two playoff spots, but the team may not be comfortable bringing back Leonard in the postseason without any regular season reps.

“I spoke to Coach Lue,” Haynes said on TNT last night. “And he told me that if he can’t get his guys back for games in the regular season, then it wouldn’t be safe for them to return in the playoffs.”

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

The Bulls have cleared Alex Caruso (wrist) for full contact and Patrick Williams (wrist) for “minimal” contact, per head coach Billy Donovan. As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes, there’s still no set timeline for either player to return to action. However, if Caruso is able to fully participate in the team’s next practice on Friday, he could be on track to play soon.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said today that swingman Danny Green will “most likely” miss Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn due to a finger laceration, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). Due to the risk of his stitches reopening, Green may end up being sidelined for a week or more, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com.
The Knicks have three games left on their current road trip, but forward Cam Reddish has returned to New York in order to have his injured right shoulder reevaluated, head coach Tom Thibodeau said today (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic). The injury, which Reddish sustained on Monday, is being called a sprain for now.

Clippers Notes: Covington, Powell, Blazers Trade

February 7th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Robert Covington said he’s “beyond excited” by getting traded with Norman Powell to the Clippers, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes. The duo was shipped by the Trail Blazers in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and Detroit’s 2025 second-round pick on Friday. “It’s going to make us dynamic — more dynamic than what we already are and it’s going to be scary defensively,” Covington said.

Powell pumped in 28 points in a loss to Milwaukee on Sunday in his Clippers’ debut. Powell said he’ll have no trouble fitting in when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard return from their injuries.

“Literally for all my career, I have been in every single role on the team,” Powell said. “The guy fighting and scratching trying to get into the rotation. Being in a rotation, being taken out of a rotation, playing alongside Kyle [Lowry] and DeMar [DeRozan], playing alongside Kyle and Kawhi, playing off of them [in Toronto]. So I think I can fit perfectly in here, with PG and Kawhi.”

We have more on the Clippers:

The acquisition of Covington and Powell proved the Clippers have hit the market as resilient buyers, rather than selling off pieces due to their star duo’s injuries, Mark Medina of NBA.com opines. The Clippers managed to acquire talent while maintaining some flexibility, Medina notes. Powell is a dependable player entering his prime while on the first year of a five-year contract. Covington is an unrestricted free agent this summer but the Clippers now hold his Bird Rights if they want to re-sign him.
The acquisition of Powell could lead an especially potent crunch-time lineup in 2022/23 season when Leonard and George return to full health, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Powell fits in snugly in a sniper role playing alongside Leonard and George. Add in Luke Kennard or Reggie Jackson and defenses would struggle mightily to guard that quartet on the perimeter.
Coach Tyronn Lue and Portland coach Chauncey Billups are close friends, and that should facilitate the acclimation process for the newly-acquired duo, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. “Me and Chauncey, we run a lot of the same stuff,” Lue said. “Pretty much the same system, especially early offensive stuff. … The biggest thing is those guys getting comfortable and understand who they’re playing with on the floor and picking and choosing their spots.”

Clippers Rumors: Frank, George, Leonard, Luxury Tax, Ibaka

February 5th, 2022 at 6:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers were involved in the first trade of deadline week and there may be more to come, writes Andrew Grief of The Los Angeles Times. A day after acquiring rotation players Norman Powell and Robert Covington from the Trail Blazers, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters that “roster building is very much ongoing.”

Frank has a track record of being active around the deadline since he joined the franchise five years ago, Greif notes. He is determined to build the best possible roster around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, even though there’s no guarantee that either player will return from injury in time to play this season.

Frank would like to find another ball-handler after sending backup point guard Eric Bledsoe to Portland in Friday’s trade. Coach Tyronn Lue said Terance Mann will fill that role for now, and Frank isn’t necessarily seeking a traditional point guard to replace Bledsoe.

“Instead of saying point guard, I really look at ‘play starter,’ ‘play finisher,’ ‘connector,’” Frank said. “And, look, our two best players have the ball in their hands 60% of the time. And point guards, as you know, what a point guard was 20 years ago is different than what is 10 years ago is different than today. … “I don’t even call it a point guard, it’s like, ‘OK, can we find a guy who can do these skill sets that maybe relieve some of the burden on Kawhi and Paul? And guess what? That player can be a forward. It doesn’t have to necessarily be a quote-unquote point guard.”

There’s more on the Clippers, all from Greif’s story:

George was shooting with his left hand before this morning’s practice. He has an MRI exam on his injured right elbow scheduled for February 24, but it won’t be the “ultimate decision-maker” on whether he tries to return before the season ends, Frank said. He added that the team is still in the dark about Leonard’s status. “No one knows, he doesn’t know,” Frank said. “But all you can do is just every day continue to control what you can control and see how he responds. Literally nothing has changed and I know it’s probably a frustrating answer or response but it’s just the reality. We don’t know.”
Getting Powell and Covington added close to $20MM to this year’s projected luxury tax bill, pushing it past $112MM, and Frank said owner Steve Ballmer is willing to pay whatever it takes to upgrade the roster. “We never thought it was realistic for us to get a player like Norm Powell for a team that won’t have salary cap space for a long, long, long time,” Frank said. “It’s really, really hard to get players like Norm, who are under a long-term deal, who are in their prime.”
Trade rumors are surrounding Serge Ibaka, who is the third-string center and has a $9.7MM expiring contract, but Frank said it’s possible he will be kept past the deadline. “Like anything, look, we will continue to look for opportunities to enhance the team,” Frank said. “Whether it is Serge or other situations.”

Latest On Kawhi Leonard, Paul George

February 4th, 2022 at 7:02am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is “probably not gonna come back” this season, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Mirjam Swanson of the Southern California News Group, on Thursday night.

Lue made that statement on Leonard in passing when he was asked, following a thrilling win over the Lakers, about the challenge of coaching a team missing its top two players (Kawhi and Paul George).

“The enjoyment I get from this team, we know Kawhi’s probably not gonna come back, we don’t know the status of PG, but these guys continue to keep fighting,” Lue said. “Every single night. And so that’s kind of how I had to play, that’s how I had to make it, so just seeing how these guys scrap and compete every single night, just makes me feel good – that’s the enjoyment I get from coaching this team.”

Asked to clarify whether he was counting on not having Leonard for the rest of the regular season – and possibly the postseason too – Lue said he’s not ruling anything out.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Lue said, per Swanson. “I mean, I’m not a doctor. But hope is stronger than fear. So I’m hoping that these two guys (Leonard and George) can come back. But, you know, you never know. So that’s all I got to say, man.”

Leonard has spent the entire season so far recovering from surgery on a partially torn ACL. Despite one report stating he’s ahead of schedule in his rehab and could return earlier than expected, other reports have conveyed pessimism about the likelihood of the two-time Finals MVP returning this season.

George, meanwhile, is dealing with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. During Thursday’s broadcast, TNT’s Allie LaForce reported that George will undergo an MRI on that elbow on February 24 to assess how it’s healing. Lue confirmed that report after the game, as Swanson relays.

The Clippers have been optimistic that George will be able to make it back this season without requiring surgery on his elbow. If the MRI shows later this month that the injury isn’t healing like team doctors have hoped, surgical intervention may be necessary. Such a procedure would almost certainly end George’s season, but for now it sounds like that’s a last resort.

Even without their two star forwards, the Clippers have remained firmly in the play-in mix in a Western Conference that has been less competitive than usual beyond the top few seeds. L.A. is only at .500 (27-27), but currently controls the No. 8 spot in the West, 1.5 games up on the ninth-place Lakers and a full five games ahead of the No. 10 Trail Blazers.

Clippers Rumors: Leonard, George, Morris, Ibaka, Winslow

January 12th, 2022 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

In the latest episode of the HoopsHype podcast, Michael Scotto said the Clippers remain focused on being competitive when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard get back on the floor.

However, despite a recent report stating that Leonard is ahead of schedule in his rehab from an ACL tear, Scotto has heard that some people within the organization believe the star forward is unlikely to return this season. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report echoes that sentiment, writing that there’s a “healthy dose of skepticism” around the NBA about Leonard playing in 2021/22.

“He’s always played things methodically and cautiously,” a source with knowledge of Leonard’s thinking told Fischer. “I knew he was ahead of schedule [in his rehab], but I wouldn’t bet on it. Kawhi is always focused on the long term. If they’re not in the playoff picture, I think the chances he comes back are slim to none.”

Fischer also shared an ominous update on George, writing that the Clippers are prepared for the possibility that the forward’s elbow injury will keep him sidelined far beyond the three-to-four week timeline the team initially announced for a reevaluation. It’s not out of the question that George’s injury could keep him out of action for the rest of the season, according to Fischer.

If the Clippers believe there’s a chance George and Leonard may both be unavailable for the rest of the season, there’s a reasonable chance they’ll pivot to becoming sellers at the deadline, Fischer adds.

Here’s more on the team from both Scotto and Fischer:

Following Leonard’s ACL tear in the 2021 playoffs, the Clippers’ front office broached the possibility of treating the 2021/22 season as more of a “gap year” before pushing again for a title in ’22/23, and owner Steve Ballmer was on board with that idea, Fischer says. The team didn’t initially go all-in on that plan, with head coach Tyronn Lue given no mandate to find minutes for young prospects, but George’s injury could push L.A. further in that direction.
Rival executives believe the Clippers will be willing to discuss many of their veteran players at the trade deadline, per Fischer. “They’re pretty much open for business for anyone except their main guys and Terance Mann. I think they really are fine falling out of the playoffs and regrouping for next year,” a Western Conference official told Bleacher Report. “I think they’re trying to shed the Marcus Morrises of the world, guys that have some value and maybe can replace them with younger talent, maybe cheaper [contracts], to free them to get someone else this summer.”
The Jazz would be a good fit for Morris, in Fischer’s view, but he cautions that the Clippers may be hesitant to send the veteran forward to a key Western Conference rival like Utah, since even if the Clips are sellers this season, the two teams could face one another again in the playoffs again as soon as next year.
Serge Ibaka and Justise Winslow are among the players the Clippers have received inquiries about, Scotto said on the HoopsHype podcast. Fischer suggests that Ibaka may be the top trade candidate on L.A.’s roster, since offloading his $9.7MM salary would save the team a ton of money on its year-end tax bill. The Thunder, one of the only teams that can accommodate a salary-dump trade without sending out a player, are a team to watch, per Fischer. The Clippers could incentivize them with cash and/or second-round picks.

Kawhi Leonard Could Return Sooner Than Anticipated

January 6th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kawhi Leonard was expected to miss most or all of this season after undergoing surgery in July to repair a partially torn ACL. According to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, there’s increasing optimism that Leonard will be in uniform this season.

The Clippers’ superstar is ahead of schedule in his rehab and a return this season is a strong possibility, sources told Haynes. Leonard has ramped up his workload in recent weeks and is gaining strength.

The Clippers entered Thursday as a .500 team (19-19) and it stands to reason Leonard wouldn’t come back unless they remain in the playoff hunt. He’d certainly make them a dangerous lower seed should he be healthy enough to play.

Otherwise, the team might be wise to wait until next year, since its franchise player made a multi-year commitment after undergoing the surgery. Leonard signed a four-year, maximum salary contract worth approximately $176.3MM. He holds a player option on the final year of the deal.

Clippers Notes: Ibaka, Batum, Morris, Leonard

November 20th, 2021 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers center Serge Ibaka had never been in the G League before, but he thought it was the best way to get playing time after returning from offseason back surgery, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. The team already had an established center rotation with Ibaka out, as Ivica Zubac and Isaiah Hartenstein split time in the middle. Ibaka only saw eight and five minutes in his first two games, so he volunteered to join the Clippers’ Agua Caliente affiliate.

“At least if you’re Kawhi (Leonard) or Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry, those kind of guys they can sit for three years and they’re going to come back, (teams are) going to give them minutes, they’re going to give them — they’re going to try to get them their confidence,” Ibaka said. “At least if you are one of those guys, you can stay, but if you’re not one of those guys, one of those names out there, sometimes you have to work for yourself to go get your confidence because nobody is going to give you that.”

Ibaka was productive during his four games in the G League, averaging 15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per night while shooting 43% from the floor. It was his first significant playing time in several months, as back issues limited him to 41 games last season and 18 total minutes in two playoff games. He believes he made a mistake by not having the operation on his back sooner.

“A lot of things were happening last year, a lot of information,” Ibaka said. “… Most important thing, I’m good and back, so I learned from that. I’m sure we all learned from that.”

There’s more Clippers news to pass along:

Nicolas Batum is playing with a sore Achilles, but he doesn’t want to take time off because the team is already short handed and is facing a challenging part of the schedule, per Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. “We miss so many key guys, we don’t have the luxury to really relax,” Batum said after Friday’s loss in New Orleans. “We don’t have Kawhi, we don’t have (Marcus Morris), we don’t have Serge yet. So we still really have to focus on those big leads, stay focused and keep playing the right way – don’t change the way we play.”
Morris isn’t considering knee surgery and his plans to recondition it haven’t changed since training camp opened, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Morris, who hasn’t played since October 23, has been participating in five-on-five scrimmages and may be ready for the next homestand.
There’s at least an even-money chance that Leonard will return before the end of the season, Murray speculates.

Los Angeles Notes: James, Davis, Ibaka, Leonard, Morris

November 13th, 2021 at 9:24am CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James hasn’t played since November 2 due to an abdominal strain, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel is hopeful the star forward will make it back soon, according to Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. James has returned to the practice court.

“His rehab is progressing nicely,” Vogel said. “He’s back to doing on-court basketball activity and this does not seem like it’s going to be an extended stretch and he’s to be considered truly day-to-day.”

We have more on the Lakers and Clippers:

The Lakers were pounded by the Timberwolves on Friday, losing by 24 points, and Anthony Davis ripped the team afterward. Davis said the club has been “lackadaisical” in the third quarter all season and questioned its desire to be a true contender, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes. “We got to decide who we want to be. A championship team? That’s not us right now,” Davis said. “We’re not winning a championship the way we’re playing. We got to be better, and we got to care more for our wins at home. Wins in general. That was embarrassing.”
Clippers big man Serge Ibaka volunteered to take a G League assignment in order to get his timing back after a prolonged absence due to back surgery, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register tweets. “He wanted to get down and find his rhythm,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “The game is a little fast for him, so he wanted to go down to the G League and play and get his reps, his timing. … that’s a true professional.”
Kawhi Leonard is still expected to miss most or all of this season as he recovers from a torn right ACL but he’s showing progress, Swanson writes. “Just seeing him active and being able to jump and progress in the way he is, it’s just good to see,” Lue said. Meanwhile, Marcus Morris could return in a week or two from a knee injury, according to a TNT report. Morris hasn’t played since October 23.