LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has sustained a torn meniscus in his right knee. The injury has ultimately ended his season after his teammates succumbed to the Phoenix Suns in five games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Now, concerns turn to next season as the Clippers' bad luck continues. Leonard missed the final three games in the series which the Suns won 4-1.
Leonard, who is a two-time NBA Champion, put up good numbers in both of the Playoff game he took part in. In game one, he shot 38 and in game two he managed 31.
Uncertainty
No timeframe has yet been put on Leonard's return by medical staff. There are plenty of reasons to worry, though as the star has history with his right knee.
The 31-year-old tore his ACL in the same knee in 2021, missing the entire 2021/22 season. An issue in the same area caused him to miss most of the 2017/18 season, back when he was with the San Antonio Spurs.
Leonard has always come back strong, though, giving Clippers fans reason not to despair just yet. The frustration, of course, is that he may be missing an extended period of time as he recovers.
This year, on his return from a year out with his ACL injury, he averaged 23.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in 52 games.
What now for the Clippers?
The problem for the franchise now is how to approach the future. Can they continue to rest their hopes on a crocked star?
In 2024, both Kawhi and Paul George will enter the final year of their contracts, although both do have a player option of an extra year.
The Clippers could trigger a two-year extension this summer, but may wish to hold off and adjust their plans or at least see how things play out next season.
In the last four years, Leonard and George have only played 118 regular season games together, that's an average of less than 30 per season.
Fit and firing, the pair can make you a contender, but that hasn't been the case for the Clippers.