Kawhi Leonard reportedly had a ‘procedure’ on his knee in the offseason, it is uncertain whether he will play on opening night

On the second day of USA Basketball’s pre-Olympic training camp in Las Vegas last July, it was clear that Kawhi Leonard wasn’t moving smoothly, that his long-standing, troublesome knee was playing havoc. Leonard and the Clippers organization weren’t happy with the decision, but USA Basketball sent him home and replaced Leonard on the Paris roster with Derrick White.

Now comes the news that Leonard underwent surgery on his knee this offseason, something that was first reported by Shams Charania and Law Murray of The AthleticAlthough the word “procedure” is vague and can mean several things, this appeared to be a laparoscopic procedure.

Earlier in the day, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank had said the team would hold Leonard during training camp and that the team did not want to commit to his availability on opening night Oct. 23, when the team will play its first actual game in the new Intuit Dome.

While Leonard undoubtedly wants — and likely will — play on opening night, it doesn’t bode well for the Clippers that his knee is a concern again. Leonard has a long history of chronic knee and leg issues dating back to his time in San Antonio, and while he played in 68 games last season (the most since 2017), his knee limited him to just two games against the Mavericks in the Clippers’ first-round playoff loss last April. Then came his time with Team USA in July.

It’s also concerning because Los Angeles lost Paul George to Philadelphia and now has to rely heavily on Leonard and James Harden, who is finally given the green light this season.

“More pick-and-rolls. More scoring, more shots,” was how coach Tyronn Lue described Harden’s role this season (via Justin Russo).

The Clippers also need more from Kawhi Leonard. The question is, can he give it?