The Los Angeles Clippers will begin the season without their All-Star player, Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard will remain sidelined for an undetermined period as he continues to recover from a right knee injury, according to a trustworthy source who asked to remain anonymous. This individual was not permitted to publicly discuss the matter. There is currently no expected date for Leonard’s return.

At the end of September, Clippers president Lawrence Frank reported that the swelling in Leonard’s knee has “significantly decreased” and that the inflammation is “almost entirely gone.” Although Leonard felt “great” heading into training camp, he mentioned that he and the organization are “taking it day by day.”

“Everything has been going well for the past month, but they are being very careful,” remarked Leonard during media day. “I haven’t been able to complete some playoff seasons, so it’s essential to ensure I stay fit for those crucial moments.”

The two-time Finals MVP did not participate in any preseason games and skipped training camp, focusing on being fully prepared for both the regular season and the playoffs.

In July 2021, Leonard underwent surgery to fix a partially torn ACL in his right knee. Due to this injury, he was unable to play the entire 2021-22 season. In April 2023, he sustained a torn meniscus in that same knee, causing him to miss the last three games in the Clippers’ first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.

Last season, Leonard participated in 68 games, his highest total since playing a career-best 74 games with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2016-17 season. However, he missed the last eight games of the regular season due to knee discomfort and was limited to only two games in the first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks due to inflammation in his right knee.

Leonard was initially selected for the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team but decided to withdraw ahead of the 2024 Paris Games to focus on the upcoming NBA season.

“Kawhi has been preparing for the Olympics over the past few weeks and had several impressive practices in Las Vegas,” stated USA Basketball in July. “He felt poised to compete. Nonetheless, he understands that USA Basketball and the Clippers believe it’s better for him to spend the rest of the summer training for the season rather than engaging in the Olympic Games in Paris.”

The Clippers will kick off the 2024-25 season against the Suns on October 23 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, preparing for the game without Leonard, who signed a three-year contract extension valued at $152.3 million in January.

“He hasn’t participated in our daily activities,” Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw said Wednesday after practice. “The focus has been on being patient with him, allowing him to rehabilitate and strengthen his knee with our medical staff. We are working with the players we have available.”