Copyright Athlon Sports
Kawhi Leonard has been huge for the Los Angeles Clippers to start the 2025-26 NBA season. The six-time All-Star is averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals, leading the team in both points and steals. However, Leonard has played in only six games so far due to an ankle injury. He has now missed three straight contests, including their latest showdown with the Phoenix Suns. The Clippers are 3-3 in the games that Leonard has played in, and they have lost all three outings in which he didn’t suit up. Against the Suns on Saturday, they lost 114-103 and dropped to 3-6 on the season. The bad news for the Clippers is that Leonard isn’t returning anytime soon as he continues his recovery. L.A. coach Ty Lue said as much in his pregame presser, noting that the 34-year-old forward will miss more games. “He’s gonna miss the next few games,” Lue said, per reporter Justin Russo. “But nothing serious and we’ll just evaluate it from there.” While Lue didn’t specify the exact nature of Leonard’s injury and how many more games he will miss, the encouraging part is the fact that the issue isn’t serious — which suggests it won’t be a long-term problem. Still, playing without their best player has proven to be tough for the Clippers, and they will need to find ways to string wins together while they wait for his return.
