Report: Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers will make his season debut against the Hawks

According to NBA reporter Chris Haynes and ESPN, Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is expected to make his 2024–25 debut on Saturday against the visiting Atlanta Hawks after missing almost half of the season.

Leonard missed the first 34 games for the Clippers due to tendinitis in his right knee. He missed four of the six games in Los Angeles’ first-round playoff defeat to the Dallas Mavericks and the final eight games of the 2023–24 regular season due to the same injury.

Leonard was also replaced on the U.S. Olympic squad before to the Paris Games as a result of the problem.

Leonard was formally designated by the Clippers as questionable for the game against Atlanta.

Leonard, 33, has never played more than 74 games in a season and has averaged 58 games in his last 12 NBA seasons.

The small forward participated in 68 games (all starts) during the previous season, which was his best total since 2016–17, and 52 regular-season games (50 starts) in 2022–2023 as well.

Leonard missed the 2021–22 season because of a ruptured ACL, and he was sidelined late last season owing to inflammation after the surgery to treat the injury.

The former San Diego State student has won two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and two Finals MVP awards (with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and the San Antonio Spurs in 2014).

Over 696 games (667 starts), the six-time All-Star averages 20.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.7 steals. He averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game the previous season.

The Clippers (19-15) are in a play-in position in seventh place in the Western Conference despite Leonard’s absence. Additionally, they trail the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks by half a game and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are in fourth place, by just one game.

After winning five of their last six games, the Clippers have now dropped two straight.