Kawhi Leonard status for Warriors game emerges after ankle development
Once a dark horse contender, Los Angeles faces turbulence as Kawhi Leonard’s health and headlines cloud their playoff hopes.
LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard (2) during Media Day at The Intuit Dome on September 29, 2025 in Inglewood, Calif. When the season began, the Los Angeles Clippers were considered a dark horse contender, but old injuries and new controversies have put a question mark over Kawhi Leonard. On Jan.
7, Leonard suffered an ankle sprain against the New York Knicks, and then on Jan. 10, a knee contusion against the Detroit Pistons. Although he played some games, his fitness was always under scrutiny.
The biggest setback came in late March when he rolled his left ankle again, forcing him to leave the court immediately. Other reports have also kept pressure on him. In September, podcaster Pablo S.
Torre reported that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and the company Aspiration had allegedly paid Leonard unethically to “circumvent” the NBA salary cap, leading to a year-long league investigation. This is the same veteran team that, with an average age of 33. 2 years, became the oldest in NBA history - injuries have been their painful storyline.