REPORT: Kawhi Leonard Has a Torn Meniscus

April 26, 2023, by Elias Schuster Chicago Bulls, NBA, News

Kawhi Leonard faces another major setback.

The Los Angeles Clippers superstar played in just of his team’s five playoff games, leading the team to victory in Game 1 and scoring at least 31 points in both contests. The team initially ruled him out ahead of Game 3 with a “right knee sprain,” but The Athletic’s Shams Charania is now reporting that Leonard has suffered a torn meniscus.

The Suns bounced the Clippers from the playoffs on Tuesday night with a 136-130 victory. Leonard’s co-star Paul George also missed the entire series due to his own knee issue.

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Leonard averaged 35 points in first two games of this postseason vs. Suns before the meniscus injury was revealed and he was shut down by medical staff.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2023

Leonard has been one of the least available stars in the NBA since winning a championship with Toronto in 2018-19. He’s failed to ever amass 52 games player in his four seasons with the Clippers, even missing the entirety of the 2021-22 season 2021-22 season with a torn ACL.

We’re still waiting for the Clippers’ official announcement and a specific recovery timeline. However, we all know that Leonard has a reputation for keeping things close to the vest and taking extra precautions with his injury recovery.

Los Angeles has Leonard on the books for two more seasons. The Clippers owe him $45.6 million in 2023-24 and $48.8 million in 2024-25 (player option).