Kawhi Leonard enters the 2023 offseason nursing another injury.
Following a pair of dominant games to open LA’s first-round series against Phoenix, Leonard suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for Games 3-5. It was first said to be a knee sprain, but it’s since been revealed that his injury is more serious.
What’s next for Leonard? Here’s what we know about his injury and the latest news on when he could return.
MORE: How Clippers vs. Suns schedule could impact Los Angeles
What is Kawhi Leonard’s injury?
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Leonard has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski originally reported that Leonard aggravated his knee in Game 1 and played through the injury in Game 2.
Leonard powered the Clippers to a Game 1 victory over the Suns with 38 points, five rebounds and five assists. He followed it up with 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in Game 2.
KAWHI WENT OFF ‼️
38 points
5 rebounds
5 assistsClippers win a thrilling Game 1 in Phoenix. pic.twitter.com/G1rQPOOjHe
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2023
Torn meniscus recovery time
Recovery times for a torn meniscus vary depending on the severity.
If surgery is not required and instead repaired by shaving damaged parts of the knee, return to activity is possible within four weeks.
However, if surgery is required, recovery can take six months or longer. For example, Collin Sexton sustained a torn meniscus in November 2021, missed the rest of the season and was not cleared to return to basketball activities until June.
A 2012 study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that “129 players with meniscus tears over a 21-year span missed an average of 40 days.”
How long will Kawhi Leonard be out?
Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank originally described Leonard’s status as “day-to-day,” but Leonard missed the final three games against the Suns.
The focus now will be getting Leonard ready for the start of the 2023-24 season.
Lawrence Frank says that Kawhi Leonard is day-to-day, and declined to elaborate on specifics on degree of severity of Leonard’s knee sprain in regards to Paul George’s knee sprain last month. pic.twitter.com/SBjtdHglFl
— Law Murray ❎️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) April 21, 2023
Leonard appeared in 52 of a possible 82 games during the regular season. He was tied with George for team-high honors with 23.8 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
With Leonard and George on the court, the Clippers outscored their opponents by an average of 8.0 points per 100 possessions. With the two stars on the bench, they were outscored by 6.1 points per 100 possessions.
Clippers vs. Suns schedule, results
The Suns defeated the Clippers in five games to advance to the second round.
| Game | Score |
| Game 1 | Clippers 115, Suns 110 |
| Game 2 | Suns 123, Clippers 109 |
| Game 3 | Suns 129, Clippers 124 |
| Game 4 | Suns 112, Clippers 100 |
| Game 5 | Suns 136, Clippers 130 |