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Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff Writer
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for the remainder of the preseason, and his status for the LA Clippers‘ season opener Oct. 23 remains uncertain.
Clippers coach Ty Lue confirmed Monday that Leonard will not play in the team’s preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. Leonard has not suited up this preseason, missing the first three games and Monday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome because of inflammation in his right knee.
“Continue to keep rehabbing,” Lue said when asked about the plan for Leonard this week. “Keep getting better. Keep checking the boxes.”
Leonard has not participated in contact drills in training camp, as the team has been cautious with its franchise star. Lue has said that Leonard has spent practices strengthening his knee.
Leonard missed the final eight games of last regular season and was limited to two games in the six-game, first-round loss to Dallas in the postseason because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.
Leonard and the Clippers have gone through a variety of medical treatments to control the inflammation since the end of last season. The All-Star said at the start of camp that he was much more confident that he and the medical staff have a better handle on the condition.
While Leonard said he is feeling much better now, the two-time Finals MVP said he wants to make sure that he is available late in the season and doesn’t have to deal with the troublesome inflammation in his knee, which has had surgeries on his ACL and meniscus.
Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said before the start of camp that Leonard still had some inflammation in his knee and that the team wanted to be as safe as possible and would hold Leonard out of contact drills.
Asked during the Clippers’ preseason game against the Golden State Warriors in Hawai’i on Oct. 5 if he needed to play in the preseason in order to play in the season opener, Leonard said there’s always a “buildup … especially in the position I’m in.”
Whenever Leonard returns to the court, he and the Clippers will have to determine the best path toward keeping him healthy long term, including potentially sitting out back-to-back games.
“I feel good,” Leonard said Oct. 5. “Just been taking my time, getting stronger and getting ready.
“We’re just taking it slow, day by day and just trying to get me back on the floor. Once those conversations come, we’ll see what they’re talking about [on the best approach for back-to-backs].”
The Clippers play the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23 in the Intuit Dome’s first regular-season basketball game.