Los Angeles Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank confirmed that Kawhi Leonard is expected to be “100%” fit ahead of the team’s training camp in October. This comes after the forward underwent a cleanup procedure for a torn meniscus in his right knee.
“Just a cleanup, went terrific,” Frank commented after the Clippers’ draft on Thursday night. “Very quick procedure. He feels great. Eight-week recovery from time of surgery where you are back on the court playing like it was a game. We are very fortunate that it was just a quick little cleanup.”
Leonard is now on an eight week recovery timetable from the moment that he underwent his surgery on June 6. His comeback is viewed as vitally important to the Clippers’ rebuild, with Frank looking to build the team around Leonard and Paul George going into the new season.
Averaging 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists during the Clippers’ first two games against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, Leonard has proven to be key to the Clippers’ success. Injury resulted in Leonard missing the remainder of the series, with the Clippers ultimately going down in five games.
