Los Angeles Clippers

A P.J. Tucker trade is reportedly one step closer to happening.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Thursday that the Los Angeles Clippers gave Tucker's agent, Andre Buck, permission to speak to other teams regarding a trade. Tucker is away from the team, and Haynes noted "both sides continue working together" to potentially facilitate a move.

Los Angeles acquired Tucker early last season as part of the trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Him being away from the team is nothing new, as the Clippers temporarily sent the forward away from the team in February last season. The NBA also fined Tucker $75,000 because he publicly expressed a desire to be traded.

The veteran did rejoin the Clippers later that same month and ended up appearing in 28 games.

However, both sides mutually agreed he wouldn't be with the team to start the 2024-25 campaign.

"P.J. is a pro who has achieved a lot in his career and there's more he wants to accomplish," the Clippers said in a statement earlier this month. "We will continue working with P.J. and his representative to find the best situation for him moving forward."

Tucker exercised the $11.5 million player option on his contract for the 2024-25 campaign. It is the final season on his current deal, so any team trading for him will likely view him as a rental who could provide veteran leadership in pursuit of a playoff spot.

The 39-year-old was a second-round pick in the 2006 NBA draft and has played for the Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Clippers throughout his career.

He has never been a go-to offensive option as evidenced by his career average of 6.6 points per game, but he provides physical defense, the ability to contribute on the boards and outside shooting when playing at his best.

It just seems like that skill set will be displayed for a team outside of the Clippers this season.

The Los Angeles Clippers denied allegations from former team trainer Randy Shelton saying Kawhi Leonard faced "unsafe and illegal treatment for injuries."

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Thursday that Shelton filed a lawsuit against the Clippers for wrongful termination. Shelton alleged Los Angeles fired him after he issued a complaint that Leonard "was being subjected to unsafe and illegal treatment for injuries."

The Clippers responded with a statement that said, "Mr. Shelton's claims were investigated and found to be without merit. We honored Mr. Shelton's employment contract and paid him in full. This lawsuit is a belated attempt to shake down the Clippers based on accusations that Mr. Shelton should know are false."

The allegations about the six-time All-Star's injury treatments weren't the only ones included in the lawsuit.

Haynes noted it also included "allegations of tampering years prior to signing the star."

Los Angeles signed Leonard ahead of the 2019-20 season right after he led the Toronto Raptors to a championship. It was the second championship of his career, and the Clippers overhauled their roster by also adding Paul George that offseason.

According to Baxter Holmes and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Shelton said in the lawsuit that the Clippers hired him as part of their efforts to land Leonard because he had previously worked with the forward at San Diego State.

The Clippers hired Shelton as a strength and conditioning coach during the same offseason that they signed Leonard.

According to Holmes and Shelburne, the lawsuit says the Clippers first reached out to Shelton in 2017 when Leonard was still with the San Antonio Spurs. The team sought out "private health information" and urged "discretion" was needed as it spoke with Shelton approximately 15 times on the phone in addition to several in-person meetings, per the lawsuit.

Shelton said the Clippers showed "disregard for the NBA's prohibitions on tampering" throughout the process.

He also said he met with Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and was "personally assured" there would be a role waiting for him with the team if Leonard signed with them.

That stands in stark contrast to Frank's comments at Leonard's introductory news conference.

"We never had a conversation with Kawhi or with any of his people," Frank said at the time. "We always felt by doing it out in front that we were being very, very transparent. We know the rules. We follow the rules. With how [Clippers owner Steve Ballmer] does business, his integrity is No. 1. We are always going to be above the line."

While Los Angeles ended up hiring Shelton, he alleged in the lawsuit that his role was quickly diminished and health information was withheld from him. He also said the team was far more concerned with Leonard's productivity and having him on the court than his overall recovery process. The lawsuit claims that the Clippers called a proposed recovery time of 730 days following his ACL tear during the 2021 playoffs on top of other injuries "unacceptable."

Leonard sat out the 2021-22 season but ended up suffering additional knee issues and two ruptured ligaments in his right ankle during the 2022-23 campaign. He also suffered a torn right meniscus during the playoffs that season.

After that season, Shelton said he wrote a complaint to Frank regarding his own diminished role, according to Holmes and Shelburne. He also said the "mishandling of Kawhi Leonard's injury and return-to-play protocol has been mind-blowing" and that "the disregard for his recovery process is unacceptable," they added.

While Frank said the team would investigate the situation, Shelton said his allegations were deemed unsubstantiated and he was subsequently fired without cause in July 2023. He also said he wasn't properly compensated for expenses and reimbursements.

Shelton is seeking "significant" but unspecified damages from the Clippers.

After missing the Los Angeles Clippers' season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, superstar forward Kawhi Leonard reportedly isn't expected to be cleared to play any time soon.

Speaking Thursday on First Take, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said the following about Leonard's status:

"Kawhi is legitimately recovering from a major injury. He had surgery in the offseason. He's not not playing right now because he's protecting his knees. He's not playing right now because he's recovering from surgery, but I understand why this is difficult to comprehend and compute because he had surgery in May and then tried to play for Team USA in June. And Team USA took one look at him and said, 'You can't play, you're not ready to play.' And he hasn't played since. Since they sent him home from their scrimmages he hasn't played since. And by the way, he's not anywhere close to coming back. He's not coming back next week. He's a while away."

Before the start of the season, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Leonard was "expected to be sidelined for an indefinite period of time" as he rehabilitates inflammation in his right knee.

With Leonard expected to miss an extended period of time, the Clippers figure to continue leaning on the likes of James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac as their man offensive contributors.

Leonard played 68 games last season, the most since his final year with the San Antonio Spurs when he was on the court for 74 games. His injury luck from the regular season didn't follow him to the playoffs as he played just two games in the postseason because of a knee injury.

Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game last season, staying consistent in his 12th NBA campaign.

After Paul George's departure to the Philadelphia 76ers this past offseason, it became clear that Leonard would have to carry the load and be the Clippers' go-to guy in 2024-25.

That role instead belongs to Harden with Leonard on the shelf, and it is fair to wonder if the Clippers will be able to truly contend for a playoff spot if Kawhi isn't back in the relatively near future.

The Los Angeles Clippers enter this season with less star power than last year after Paul George left for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency and Kawhi Leonard got sidelined indefinitely due to right knee inflammation.

Now James Harden guides the team as its clear leader and top option. In an interview with ESPN's Shams Charania, Harden noted how this year's Clipper squad doesn't "have room for error like a lot of other teams."

"I've been in situations like this where we have not as much as other teams, but then that's when my leadership role has to really, really kick in. We don't have room for error like a lot of other teams. We have to be detailed and precise on everything we do, and that starts with me. We started off in the summer, and we've had a really good preseason. So I think for us it's just getting off to a really good start."

Harden's answer was in response to this question: "Do you see yourself as 'the man' here now as you're starting the season without Kawhi? What's your mentality?"

Last season, Leonard averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. George posted 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. That pair of two-way stars led the Clippers in scoring, and it'll be hard for the team to replace that production.

The Clippers also face the challenge of fighting for the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference, where 11 teams finished .500 or better and 10 teams ended the season with 46 or more wins. Only a few teams are going through a rebuilding phase right now, with most of the West setting their sights on a spot in the NBA Finals. That makes things all the more difficult for the Clippers and Harden, though he seems up for the challenge.

"I've been in this situation before, so it's easy for me," Harden told Charania, when asked about his experience on being on a team that's been looked over in the past.

"I'm comfortable in this role. And then you get an opportunity to build guys up. Guys that feel like they don't have the most confidence or are still trying to figure that role, you kind of help guys build their gut. Somebody like Kai Jones who hasn't really had a real opportunity in his league. So I think my experience is going to help him."

Ultimately, Harden has a tall task ahead of him in leading a team as its lone star, although the Clippers certainly have solid talent left over from last year's 51-win team, including Norman Powell, Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac, among others.

Game 1 for the Clippers will be at their new home, the Intuit Dome, on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss multiple weeks with the new season tipping off, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Last year followed a similar refrain for the Clippers as Leonard missed the final stretch of the regular season and the majority of the playoffs due to inflammation in his right knee. He also withdrew from Team USA ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics after getting picked for the national team.

The six-time All-Star's knee remained bothersome as the new season approached. He was out for the entire preseason and his status for the Oct. 23 opener against the Phoenix Suns was under some doubt.

Leonard is still an elite talent after a torn ACL cost him all of 2021-22. In his first two years after returning, he averaged 23.8 points on 51.9 percent shooting, including 41.6 on three-pointers.

But the 33-year-old wasn't on the floor when the Clippers' 2022 and 2023 postseason runs came to an end. The proactive approach Los Angeles has taken with his load management didn't preclude him from getting hurt at the most inopportune times.

Now, the organization is staring at a difficult future with its championship window potentially closed.

Losing Paul George to free agency sent L.A. tumbling down the Western Conference hierarchy. One could argue the Clippers' approach to contract negotiations with George pointed to how they no longer believed the PG/Kawhi partnership was a title-winning formula even if he had returned.

At least fans have the brand new Intuit Dome to distract them from what could be a tough year on the court.

Kawhi Leonard chose the Los Angeles Clippers over the L.A. Lakers and Toronto Raptors during the 2019 free agency period in part because he wanted to go to a team where he could help build a legacy.

Leonard told that to Sam Schube of GQ, who dropped this note amid an article about the Clippers' move to their brand-new home, the Intuit Dome.

"For some players, that was the appeal. During his free agency, in 2019, Leonard was rumored to be a Lakers target before ultimately opting for the other Staples Center locker room. 'I just wanted to go to a franchise where I could try to help build a legacy,' he told me this spring. (A knee injury will keep Leonard out for at least the season opener.)."

In 2019, Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to a championship season in his lone year in town, winning NBA Finals MVP for the second time in his career. In the summer, the free agent was reportedly down to the Raps, Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers before ultimately choosing the Clips.

In a sitdown interview with Rachel Nichols (then of ESPN) post-decision, Leonard gave some more insight into his thought process (1:55 mark).

"I was very close. Real close. But when [the Clippers] presented the opportunity of playing with [Paul George], it was easy, it was a yes. I said let's get it going."

At the time, the Clippers had never made a conference finals in their entire history, dating back to the franchise's beginning in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves.

So there certainly was a chance for Leonard to build something great with Paul George with the Clippers, who had just enjoyed a successful Lob City era from 2011-2016. Those teams made the playoffs each year but fell in the first round and second round three times apiece.

The Clippers did make the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, including a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021. Unfortunately, injuries to both Leonard and George sidelined them for long stretches and ultimately capped the ceiling of a team that had championship potential. When healthy, though, the two were superstars leading a Clippers squad in the NBA title conversation.

Leonard and George have gone their separate ways, with the latter player leaving in free agency for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Leonard is still in Los Angeles, but he is out indefinitely as he rehabs his way back from right knee inflammation. Hopefully he returns ASAP to lead a Clippers team that has made the postseason each year he's been on the court.

The Los Angeles Clippers are honoring late NBA player, coach and executive Jerry West with a customized court decal in the team's new Intuit Dome.

In addition to the "JW" on the sideline, the Clippers will keep a seat reserved in West's honor during Wednesday night's regular-season opener against the Phoenix Suns, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.

West died in June at age 86. He had joined the Clippers as a consultant in 2017.

The tribute seat will display West's signature above the nickname "The Logo," a reference to the understanding that his silhouette was the inspiration for the NBA's logo, per Youngmisuk.

The seat will be located behind the basket near the Clippers' bench, where West sat during games, Youngmisuk reported.

This is not the first time the Clippers have left a seat empty in West's memory. The team kept a chair open in their war room in his honor during the 2024 NBA draft.

West was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the third time in his career earlier this month.

After being inducted into the Hall in 1979 as a player, and again in 2020 as part of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning team, West was most recently honored as a contributor for his role in developing teams including the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.

During his time with the Clippers, which West described in 2017 as "the last adventure of my life," the former Lakers star helped build the Clippers squad that made the franchise's first Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021.

The Clippers will also share a video tribute made in West's honor during the contest against the Suns, per Youngmisuk.

These tributes honoring West will take place during the first regular-season NBA game in the Intuit Dome's history. The venue, which features the world's largest double-sided "halo" video board, opened its doors in August.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will be sidelined for "an indefinite period of time to start the NBA season" as he continues to rehab the inflammation in his right knee, ESPN's Shams Charania and Ohm Youngmisuk reported on Thursday.

Leonard has not played in the preseason or taken contact in preseason practices due to the knee inflammation.

Youngmisuk previously reported on NBA Today that Leonard was "doubtful" for the Clippers' season opener on Oct. 23 against the Phoenix Suns.

The team is likely to err "on the side of caution" while focusing on keeping Leonard healthy for later in the 2024-25 season, per Youngmisuk.

Leonard missed both the Clippers' 2023-24 postseason finale and the 2024 Paris Olympics with the same issue.

Prior to the injury, Leonard earned the sixth All-Star nod of his career while averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists through 68 regular-season starts in 2023-24. He shot a career-best 52.5 percent from the field while adding 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

For the third postseason in a row, however, Leonard was limited by an injury by the time the playoffs rolled around.

After missing the final eight games of the regular season and the first game of the playoffs, Leonard returned to average 12.0 points in two postseason appearances before he was sidelined again by inflammation of the surgically repaired knee he injured in 2021 and 2023.

Leonard then sat out of the Olympics after attending three training camp practices with Team USA. Team USA executive director Grant Hill told reporters that the decision to sideline Leonard was in "the Clippers' and Kawhi's best interest."

Leonard missed the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his right ACL during the 2021 postseason.

His 2023 postseason was cut short when he suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee, followed by his abbreviated 2024 postseason due to inflammation.

Leonard's injury history is a pressing concern for the Clippers, especially considering the three-year extension he signed in January that locked him in with Los Angeles through the 2026-27 season.

Paul George's offseason departure for the Philadelphia 76ers made Leonard more important to the Clippers than ever. James Harden, who signed a two-year extension over the summer, will be called on to lead the team's offense through a tough Western Conference as the Clippers work to get Leonard back on the floor as soon as possible.

The games will count in the standings the next time Kawhi Leonard takes the court.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters Monday that Leonard will not play during the team's preseason schedule as he rehabs his knee injury. The revelation came ahead of Monday's preseason contest against the Dallas Mavericks.

This comes after the six-time All-Star withdrew from the 2024 Paris Olympics. Boston Celtics guard Derrick White replaced him on the Team USA roster, and the Americans ended up winning the gold medal.

Leonard played just two of the Clippers' six games in their first-round loss to the Mavericks in last season's playoffs, and he and the team clearly don't want to risk any further setbacks playing in preseason contests.

He isn't someone who needs a lot of preseason reps, as he has been in the league since 2011 and is one of the best players of his generation.

The 33-year-old's resume includes two championships, two NBA Finals MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, six All-NBA selections, seven All-Defensive selections, six All-Star nods and a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary team.

Yet injuries and availability have been a concern at times throughout Leonard's career.

He missed the 2021-22 campaign, played nine games in 2017-18 and hasn't played more than 68 games since 2016-17. To be fair, he played 68 games just last season and was generally healthy until the setback in the playoffs.

Los Angeles will likely need Leonard healthy if it is going to compete for a deep playoff run in the loaded Western Conference, so it is taking the necessary precautions at this time of year.

None of the performances from Kawhi Leonard's teammates have caught his eye at the start of training camp.

The Los Angeles Clippers star told reporters on Saturday that "nobody stood out to me so far."

The Clippers' 2024-25 rotation will feature several new faces following the offseason departure of Paul George. The Philadelphia 76ers handed George a new four-year, $212 million contract in free agency after he spent the past five seasons in Los Angeles.

Leonard will still have an All-Star teammate in the Clippers' starting lineup, as the team re-signed James Harden on a new two-year, $70 million contract.

Los Angeles also added several free agents that are expected to be part of head coach Tyronn Lue's rotation including forwards Derrick Jones Jr. and Nicolas Batum as well as defensive-minded guard Kris Dunn.

With George gone, the Clippers will heavily rely on Leonard to carry their offense as they attempt to secure a third straight playoff appearance.

The six-time All-Star has dealt with inflammation in his right knee throughout the offseason that resulted in his exit from the United States men's national team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics and ultimately required surgery.

Although he didn't suit up during the Clippers' 91-90 preseason loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, he revealed that he's feeling better as he takes a cautious approach to his recovery.

"I feel good," Leonard said at halftime of the game, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "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," he added.

While his new teammates haven't stood out to him just yet, they'll still be hoping that he's able to return ahead of the Clippers' regular-season opener on Oct. 23.