Clippers' Kawhi Leonard upgraded to questionable, could make season debut Saturday against Atlanta

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard evidently is ready to play basketball again.

The Los Angeles Clippers upgraded Leonard from out to questionable on their injury report Friday night, indicating that he may make his season debut Saturday when the team plays host to the Atlanta Hawks.

Leonard has been out with what the Clippers described as right knee injury recovery. He has not played since April 26, when he appeared in Game 3 of the Clippers' Western Conference first-round playoff series against Dallas.

He missed 12 of the Clippers’ final 14 games last season with right knee inflammation, but thought he was healthy enough to play for USA Basketball this past summer at the Paris Olympics. Leonard was picked for the Olympic team and brought to Las Vegas for training camp, but the Americans — saying they felt his knee could not handle the rigors of playing — sent him home and replaced him with Derrick White on the team that would eventually win gold at the Paris Games.

Leonard is a two-time NBA champion, six-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player, but injury issues have been a recurring theme in his career. He has missed 290 regular-season games over the last eight years, including all of the 2021-22 season with knee trouble.

He appeared in 68 games last season for the Clippers, his most since playing in 74 for San Antonio during the 2016-17 season.

“This is just my journey,” Leonard said this past summer, discussing his injuries. “I can’t lay out the perfect script for me. Last year I tried to play as much as possible, felt great and at a certain period of time I couldn’t go. I tried the best that I could, but it’s just my journey. ... I motivate a lot of people, so I’ve got to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Leonard, a member of the NBA's 75th anniversary team, has averaged 20 points per game in his career.

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The Associated Press