Don’t worry, LA Clippers fans. When I saw the initial headline, my heart sank, too.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, Kawhi Leonard did not travel with the Clippers Wednesday as they flew to Orlando. No need to panic, as he’ll still be traveling to Orlando and joining the team. It’ll just be in a few days.
In the report, Leonard was given permission by the organization to tend to a family matter. It’s unclear as to what exactly the family matter is, or how long Leonard plans to stay, but he’s expected to rejoin the team sometime soon.
The Clippers’ first game is less than two weeks away, as they play the Magic on July 22 in a scrimmage game. Here’s the team’s full scrimmage schedule:
- vs. Orlando Magic — July 22, 3 p.m. ET, The Arena
- @ Washington Wizards — July 25, 8 p.m. ET, HP Field House
- vs. Sacramento Kings — July 27, 4 p.m. ET, The Arena
Nothing against those teams, but Leonard really won’t be needed in them. However, I’d expect him to play in at least one, just to get back into the flow of the action.
The Clippers resume the season on July 30 versus the Lakers.