Kawhi Leonard : Return | Stats | Injury | Contract

With his return to the court now presumably less than 1 month away, LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard is taking a vacation from offseason training.

Kawhi Leonard : Return | Stats | Injury | Contract

Kawhi Anthony Leonard is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

A two-time NBA champion, he is a five-time All-Star with three All-NBA First Team selections.

Nicknamed the “Claw” or “Klaw” for his ball-hawking skills, he has earned seven All-Defensive Team selections and won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2015 and 2016. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Leonard played two seasons of college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs and was named a consensus second-team All-American as a sophomore.

He opted to forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility to enter the 2011 NBA draft. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th overall pick before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs on draft night.

Kawhi Leonard return 

After missing the entire 2021-2022 season, it has been almost 2 years since the Los Angeles Clippers All-Star forward last stepped his foot on the hardwood.

With just a few months before the 2022-2023 season commences, a lot of fans are already asking – Is Kawhi Leonard returning next season?

As of the moment, Leonard is still listed as out indefinitely. But, according to the latest reports, he is “physically and mentally” recovered although he still needs to work out a lot with the team.

In an article by The Athletic’s writer Law Murray, Clippers president Lawrence Frank shared some information regarding the status of Leonard’s health.

Murray also assumed that Kawhi could take part in pre-season games which in our opinion is still highly unlikely.

Stats

According to Sports Illustrated, NBA scouts were aware in 2011 that Leonard had a strong work ethic and was a “physical marvel, 6’7″ with a 7’3″ wingspan and 11-inch hands, too strong to screen and too long to elude”.

Nevertheless, they found him “difficult to pin down”.

Sporting News has asserted that Leonard was known more for his defense and rebounding than for his offensive capabilities when he first entered the league.

He was compared to Metta World Peace and Gerald Wallace, and his outside shooting (or lack thereof) was a concern.

Leonard was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers but was traded that night to the San Antonio Spurs along with the rights to Erazem Lorbek and Dāvis Bertāns in exchange for George Hill.

Kawhi Leonard Injury 

Kawhi Leonard has been sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery in July to repair a partial tear of the ACL in his right knee.

Leonard missed the entirety of the 2021-22 regular season, but it’s still unknown if he could return at some point during the postseason.

Leonard suffered a right knee injury during Game 4 of the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals. The two-time NBA Finals MVP came up limping after a drive toward the basket against former Jazz forward Joe Ingles.

He ended up sitting the last four-plus minutes of that contest, but in his postgame interview with TNT’s Rebecca Haarlow, he said, “I’ll be good.”

Unfortunately for Leonard, the knee issue was more serious than he thought and ended what had been a spectacular playoff run.

The Clippers announced on July 13 that Leonard underwent successful surgery to repair the partially torn ACL, adding that there is “no timetable for his return.”

In 52 games last season, Leonard averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals, earning a spot on the All-NBA First Team.

Contract 

Kawhi Leonard signed a 4 year / $176,265,152 contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, including $176,265,152 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $44,066,288.

In 2022-23, Leonard will earn a base salary of $42,492,492, while carrying a cap hit of $42,492,492 and a dead cap value of $42,492,492.