Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Still limited to individual work
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) won't play in the final two games of the regular season, but his status for a potential postseason run remains to be determined, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Per Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times, Leonard remains limited to individual work and still doesn't have a return timetable. Based on this update, it feels like the former Finals MVP remains unlikely to suit up again this season. However, Norman Powell and Paul George each recently made surprisingly quick returns from relatively serious injuries, so it's possible a similar situation happens with Leonard if the Clippers are able to advance through the play-in tournament. Nonetheless, Los Angeles is expected to be overly cautious with Leonard, as a potential setback at this point could hinder his availability for the 2022-23 campaign.
Clippers' Kawhi Leonard: Progressing, but no timeline
Rotowire
Leonard (knee) has not yet been cleared to take contact, but he's been spotted shooting during the Clippers' recent practices and traveled with the team for its back-to-back road games in Houston a few weeks ago, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
The Clippers haven't provided many formal updates regarding where Leonard stands in his recovery from surgery to address a partial ACL tear of his right knee, an injury he sustained in LA's Western Conference semifinals matchup with the Jazz last June. Though fantasy managers may have selected Leonard in drafts with the hope that a partial ACL tear rather than a full tear might require a shorter recovery timeline, he's now more than eight months removed from surgery and doesn't look to be a close to a return. Meanwhile, Paul George has been sidelined since late December and also hasn't resumed practicing with the team, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported March 9 that the Clippers have far more optimism about George returning to action in 2021-22 than Leonard. At this point, it would be a surprise if Leonard played before the regular season ends April 10, and the Clippers may need to make a deep postseason run for the 30-year-old to reach a point in his recovery from the knee injury where he'll be ready to play.
