It does not appear likely that the Los Angeles Clippers will have Kawhi Leonard for at least the start of the Western Conference Finals.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Leonard will not travel to Phoenix with the team for Game 1 against the Suns. He will continue to rehab at home, with no timetable for his return.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard (knee) will not travel with the team to Phoenix to continue rehabbing at home, league sources tell @YahooSports, @NBAonTNT.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 19, 2021
It’s quite clear that Leonard’s knee is in bad shape. Given the rumors of the injury’s severity, that certainly makes sense. It’s still going to make the upcoming series an uphill climb for the Clippers, even though they overcame the Jazz without him playing in the final two games of that series. If there’s any consolation for the Clippers, it’s that Phoenix’s star player is also uncertain to play in Game 1.
Leonard was averaging 30.4 points per game in the postseason before going down with the injury. Paul George will have to continue carrying the team without him.
