Clippers Announce Kawhi Leonard Injury Update After Two Straight Losses

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Ishaan Bhattacharya | Last updated Mar 17, 2026 1:09 AM ET

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to a 119-115 loss to the San Antonio Spurs after a back-and-forth affair, which saw both teams hold 20-point leads at a time. It came down to a narrow loss for the Clippers, who were without star forward Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard suffered an ankle injury during the team's 118-109 loss to the Sacramento Kings, not completing the game as the Clippers lost to the worst team in the West. Given the amazing season Leonard has been having, fans were worried that a long-term absence could severely affect the 34-34 Clippers, who are fighting for a Playoff spot.

The team announced an update on Leonard's status after their loss to the Spurs, confirming he'll travel with the team on their upcoming road trip, officially being listed as day-to-day.

This is great news for the Clippers, as Leonard is averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in a career-year with the franchise. There's always extra concern over Leonard's injuries given the long absences he's suffered over his career.

Neither the Clippers nor Leonard would risk an early return given what's at stake, so this update definitely indicates this is a minor ankle injury.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) holds his finger after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Clippers have a back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday and Thursday, so optimistic fans will expect Leonard to play in one of these two games. The team also has a road game against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, so the tentative window of return should be within these three games.

The Pelicans don't really have an incentive to lose since they don't control their first-round pick, so this back-to-back could be tricky against a franchise that has both Dejounte Murray and Zion Williamson healthy at the moment.

The Clippers were competitive against the 50-18 Spurs without Leonard, so they should have an entertaining scrap against the Pelicans on back-to-back nights. The Mavericks do have an incentive to lose, given they're currently tanking to maximize their 2026 draft lottery odds.

These are safe games for Leonard to target his return, as the 34-34 Clippers look to hold onto a one-game advantage over the No. 9 seed Golden State Warriors with 14 games remaining in the season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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