There’s no immediate plan to meet with Kawhi Leonard, and it has nothing to do with his promotional activities for Aspiration.
The Clippers star has been sidelined for five consecutive games due to a “significant” right foot sprain and an ankle sprain. As per Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, his recovery process will “take some time.”
“He’s making progress,” Frank mentioned just before the Clippers faced their sixth consecutive loss, a 130-116 defeat to the Nuggets. “When he sprained his ankle, it affected the mechanics of his foot. He’s improving. We’ll keep treating him… perhaps next week we’ll have a clearer idea.”
Leonard, who can be exceptional when healthy, last played on November 3 against the Heat, logging 37 minutes in a narrow 120-119 home loss that kicked off the team’s losing streak.
Since that game, Frank noted that Leonard has consulted with three different doctors.
“Everyone is in agreement,” Frank stated. “It’s going to take some time to manage the inflammation and get him feeling good on the court again. He’s undergoing two or three treatments daily, but, you know, it just takes a while.”
Leonard will travel with the team for an upcoming seven-game road trip, starting with a match against the struggling Mavericks.
This challenging stretch of games will also include matchups against the Celtics, 76ers, Magic, Hornets, Cavaliers, and Lakers.
The Clippers, currently 3-8, began the season with high expectations, but Leonard’s absence has impacted their potential. To add to their troubles, guard Bradley Beal has been ruled out for the season due to a hip fracture.
Chris Paul, too, has only played in eight games this season.
As for Leonard, who is now 34, he’s averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across six games.
This season has begun under a cloud of controversy, particularly with reports suggesting that owner Steve Ballmer might have bypassed salary cap regulations by providing Leonard with a no-show promotional role at Aspiration. This was supposedly to counterbalance the money he lost when moving from the Raptors to the Clippers back in the 2019-20 season.
Both Leonard and the Clippers have refuted any allegations of wrongdoing.
