Sources – Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely to start the season

LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely at the start of the NBA season as he rehabs inflammation in his right knee, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

The Clippers and Leonard are in the midst of a rehab process for the two-time NBA Finals MVP aimed at providing him with on-court stability throughout the season, and the franchise will be diligent and careful to ensure his fitness long-term .

Leonard, 33, has not played during the Clippers' entire preseason — which ends Thursday against the Sacramento Kings — or participated in any activities that involved on-court contact during training camp.

“He wasn’t part of what we do on a daily basis,” Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw said after practice Wednesday. “I know the company line is that we will be patient with him, so he is doing everything he can to rehabilitate the disease and strengthen the knee alone with our medical staff. And we just care about the guys we have (available).”

In Leonard's absence, James Harden, who is feeling more comfortable after a full training camp this season, will be relied upon to carry much of the offensive load and lead the team. He joined the franchise last year during an early-season trade from Philadelphia and had to adapt alongside Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.

With George now in Philadelphia and Westbrook in Denver, Harden will look to be a playmaker for the likes of Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell and Terance Mann.

Harden has said Leonard needs to take the time he needs to return and be healthy toward the end of the season.

After a win in Charlotte on March 31, Leonard developed inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. He missed the final eight games of the last regular season and was limited to two games in the six-game loss to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs.

Leonard and the Clippers have undergone various medical treatments to control the inflammation since the end of last season. Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said at the start of training camp that the inflammation had decreased significantly since last postseason, but that the team wanted to restore the franchise star's knee to 100% and would take every precaution.

When asked if he could struggle with the upcoming inflammation for the rest of his career, Leonard said that it was a possibility, but that the medical staff had a better handle on it and were trying to make sure that wasn't the case.

Leonard, who missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a torn ACL in his right knee, has missed 179 of a possible 435 games since joining the Clippers in 2019.

He played in 52 regular season games during the 2022-23 season. After suffering a torn right meniscus during the 2023 first-round playoff series against Phoenix, Leonard played in 68 regular-season games last season – his most since the 2016-17 season – and averaged 23.7 Points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals while earning his sixth All-Star nomination.

The Clippers will play the Phoenix Suns in the first basketball game of the regular season on October 23rd at the Intuit Dome.