Clippers Dealt Troubling Kawhi Leonard Update on Tuesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 9:12 PM ET

Tuesday night's matchup against the San Antonio Spurs should have had some significance for Kawhi Leonard as the six-time All-Star faces off against his former team.

Leonard, however, headed into the game with a questionable tag due to a lingering knee injury, which put his status for the Spurs game in serious jeopardy.

True enough, there won't be any Leonard-Spurs mini-reunion on the court on Tuesday night. This is after the Clippers officially ruled Leonard out less than two hours before tip-off due to right knee injury management.

This final report comes via Clippers beat reporter Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.

Kawhi Leonard is OUT for tonight’s Clippers-Spurs game.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 9, 2025

It is important to note that Tuesday's game is the front end of a back-to-back set for the Clippers, who are also in action on Wednesday against the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets.

It's possible that the Clippers are merely being cautious on Leonard here, but the fact that L.A. is so close to the playoffs could mean that there's a bit of concern surrounding the 33-year-old's knee here.

Moreover, the Clippers are in an extremely tight race in the West right now. They enter the Spurs game on a four-way tie with the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 5 spot in the conference.

All four teams are in action on Tuesday, which means that a loss for the Clippers could see them fall out of the playoff picture in the West. L.A. has three games remaining in the regular season after Tuesday night, and they will need to balance their superstar's health between their chase for a guaranteed playoff spot and their upcoming postseason run.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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