The Clippers have officially announced that Kawhi Leonard has been diagnosed with a left knee contusion and inflammation! He will miss at least two games, and the moment before his departure has been revealed.

On January 19th Beijing time, the Clippers confirmed that Kawhi Leonard sustained a left knee contusion last Saturday local time, which led to an inflammatory reaction in the knee. He will return to Los Angeles for treatment and will miss the remainder of the team's road trip. Leonard’s injury will be reassessed once the team returns to Los Angeles.

Leonard is expected to miss the Clippers’ Tuesday road game against the Wizards and Wednesday’s game against the Bulls. His injury will be reevaluated before the Clippers’ home game against the Lakers.

Leonard had previously been listed on the injury report due to a right ankle sprain and missed the team’s overtime road win against the Raptors. His left knee contusion, an old injury, was aggravated during the second game of a back-to-back road series against the Pistons last weekend. The Clippers had earlier revealed that Leonard had been playing through knee pain, with his game status monitored daily.

It should be noted that the discomfort in his left knee is not the same one that has undergone multiple surgeries previously.Leonard had missed the entire first half of the 2024-25 season due to his previous knee injury.

On January 8th, Leonard stumbled over a fan at Madison Square Garden during a game against the Knicks. Following that, he was listed as a game-time decision for four consecutive games, all of which the Clippers won. His absence from the Toronto game ended his streak of 24 consecutive appearances, which was his longest since starting the 2023-24 season with 27 straight games played.

The Clippers’ decline this season began on November 4th when Leonard injured his right ankle and foot in a game against the Heat. During the 20 days Leonard was sidelined, he missed 10 games, and the team posted a disappointing 2-8 record. Even after Leonard returned on November 24th and started a consecutive game streak, he played less than 35 minutes in each of the first five games back, all of which the Clippers lost. The team’s record fell to 6-21, placing them at the bottom of the Western Conference at one point.

Since late December last year, the Clippers have made a strong comeback, coinciding with Leonard delivering the best regular-season performance of his career. Starting from the December 21st game against the Lakers, Leonard averaged 32.7 points per game, with a shooting percentage of 50.7%, three-point accuracy of 44%, and free throw rate at 91.6%. Under his leadership, the Clippers achieved an impressive 11-2 record over 13 games. During this period, he averaged 3.9 three-pointers per game, significantly increasing his perimeter attempts, while also drawing 8.2 free throw attempts per game, consistently pressuring opposing defenses.

Additionally, since December 21st, Leonard has averaged 6.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.6 steals, and 1 block per game. It was at this time that Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue stated Leonard had entered playoff mode. Considering Leonard and Harden are the only major scoring threats on the team, this level of performance is crucial for the Clippers.

Even without Leonard, the Clippers overcame a 14-point deficit in the first quarter and an 11-point gap at the start of the fourth quarter to eventually win in overtime 121-117 against the Raptors. Leonard was not the only player absent; starting power forward John Collins was sidelined due to right groin soreness and was listed on the injury report before the Wizards game. Coach Tyronn Lue decided to keep him resting for strategic reasons.

Veteran Nicolas Batum replaced Collins in the starting lineup but was subbed out for rest after the first quarter timeout. Center Ivica Zubac played through injury, dealing with a previously sprained left ankle. Additionally, Bogdan Bogdanović (left hamstring strain) and Derrick Jones Jr. (right medial collateral ligament sprain) have been out for several weeks.

The Clippers’ roster depth has been severely compromised. Besides dealing with injuries to Bogdanović, Jones, and Bill (hip injury, out for the season), they are also managing the roster gap caused by Paul’s departure. Thus, even before Leonard’s current absence, the team had already begun making roster adjustments.

The Clippers signed power forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. to a 10-day contract, but Baldwin will not officially join the team until Tuesday’s game against the Wizards. With Baldwin signed, the Clippers now have 15 players on standard contracts, giving the team greater flexibility in roster usage. This allows them to play two two-way contract players, Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller, in the same game, as well as activate two-way guard TyTy Washington.

With Leonard sidelined, second-round rookie Sanders is expected to enter the starting lineup, while Miller will receive more shooting opportunities. In the game against the Raptors, the Clippers’ three two-way contract players, along with first-round rookie center Nidehauser and second-year shooting guard Christie, combined to score 56 points. Leonard’s return date is uncertain, so these young players will need to take on greater responsibility.

After defeating the Raptors, the Clippers hold an 18-23 record through 41 games this season, currently sitting 10th in the Western Conference. The team struggled in the first half of the season (first 20 games) with a 5-15 record, but improved to 13-8 in the following 21 games. The Clippers are currently on a five-game winning streak, which is the longest active streak in the NBA.

Before leaving the road trip, Leonard traveled to Scarborough, Ontario, to attend the opening ceremony of an indoor sports arena. In 2019, Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to their first-ever NBA championship and was named Finals MVP that season.