Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is dealing with swelling in his right knee, the organization revealed Tuesday.
The news came on the same day as The Athletics Shams Charania reported that Leonard had undergone a “knee” procedure in the offseason.
Team president Lawrence Frank told reporters that the swelling was “significantly” reduced, but that Leonard will be held out of practice during next week’s training camp to get him back to full strength.
“It’s really unfortunate that he’s had to deal with this, but we’re moving in the right direction,” Frank said. according to the Los Angeles Times. “The goal is to get him to 100 percent so he can have a great season, not just this year but for many years.”
Frank said he wasn’t sure if the Clippers star would be ready for the start of this season.
“I think the timing will basically depend on how his knee reacts to each phase,” he said. according to ESPN. “No one has a crystal ball.”
Leonard had to sit out the final eight games of the regular season due to inflammation in his right knee and although he returned for the playoffs, he was only able to play in Game 2 and Game 3 of their first round series because of the issue.
The forward participated in USA Basketball’s training camp in July before USA Basketball ultimately decided to take Derrick White to the Olympics instead of Leonard.
“We got the knee in a really, really good place,” Frank said Tuesday. “[He came] back to Dallas [in the playoffs] and it has been manageable ever since. But we really, really spent the offseason trying to get this to 100 percent and I think we’re getting closer and closer.
The Clippers’ season opener isn’t until Oct. 23 against the Suns at Los Angeles’ new arena, the Intuit Dome.
Their first preseason game is scheduled for Oct. 5 against the Warriors in Hawaii.