Kawhi Leonard’s Knee Swelling Delays Training Camp

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is dealing with swelling in his right knee, the organization revealed Tuesday. The news comes on the heels of a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania that Leonard underwent a knee “procedure” during the offseason.

Clippers president Lawrence Frank told reporters that the swelling has “significantly” decreased, but that Leonard will be kept out of drills during next week’s training camp to ensure a full recovery.

“It’s truly unfortunate that he’s had to deal with this, but we’re trending in the right direction,” Frank said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “The goal is to get him to 100 percent so he can have a great season, not just this year, but for many years.”

Frank expressed uncertainty about Leonard’s availability for the season opener.

“I think that the timing’s all going to basically depend on how his knee responds to each phase,” he said, according to ESPN. “No one has a crystal ball.”

Leonard was sidelined for the last eight games of the regular season due to inflammation in his right knee. He returned for the playoffs, but only played in Games 2 and 3 of the first-round series before being hampered by the same issue.

The forward participated in USA Basketball’s training camp in July, but ultimately did not make the Olympic team, with Derrick White taking his spot.

“We got the knee in a really, really good place,” Frank said on Tuesday. “[He came] back for Dallas [in the playoffs] and it has been manageable since. But we really, really spent the offseason trying to get this 100 percent and I think we’re getting closer and closer.”

The Clippers’ season opener is scheduled for October 23 against the Suns at their new arena, Intuit Dome. Their first preseason game is set for October 5 against the Warriors in Hawaii.