A player signed by Los Angeles for a three-year, $149.7 million contract suffered a deadly injury during a recent match.
The Clippers have already ruled out All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard for Friday’s must-win Game 6 against the Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. The 6-foot-7 swingman is struggling with right knee tendinitis, which has restricted him to only two games this season. Injuries have now sidelined him for four consecutive postseasons, including the 2022 play-in tournament, when he was still recovering from a right knee ACL damage sustained during the 2021 playoffs.
During his two healthy games against the Mavericks, Leonard lacked much of his usual two-way mobility. He averaged just 12.0 points a game on 45.8% shooting from the floor and 66.7% from the charity stripe, with 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 steals.
The two-time Defensive Player of the Year had his healthiest regular season in years in 2023-24, but Leonard’s good fortune with injuries looks to have run out in the playoffs. L.A. signed him to a three-year, $149.7 million contract extension midway through the season, but the franchise has yet to reach an agreement with its other injury-prone All-Star forward, Paul George. L.A. has revealed that starting shooting guard Terance Mann is only questionable to play due to a right lower-leg injury. According to the most recent NBA injury report, 3-and-D Dallas wing Tim Hardaway Jr. will be sidelined with a right ankle strain.
The Mavericks lead the Clippers 3-2 in their 4-5 Western Conference series. The action returns to Dallas on Friday night.