Kawhi Leonard status for Warriors game emerges after ankle development

LA Clippers Kawhi Leonard (2) during Media Day at The Intuit Dome on September 29, 2025 in Inglewood, Calif.

(Aliyah Navarro - The Sporting Tribune)

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.

Clippers announce Kawhi Leonard news before Golden State matchup

On Saturday, according to Underdog NBA, Leonard (ankle) is questionable for Sunday’s game between the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors. Leonard tweaked his ankle in the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings in March. When he landed awkwardly, his left ankle rolled, and he was immediately taken out of the game.

If he doesn’t play, the Clippers will suffer a heavy blow as they are in the race for the 8th seed, and after losing to Portland on Friday, their situation is fragile. Without the two-time NBA champion, the burden will fall on John Collins, Bennedict Mathurin, and Nicolas Batum. Leonard has played 65 games this season, averaging 27.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.9 SPG, and shooting 50.5% from the field.

The Clippers will face the Golden State Warriors at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood (the Clippers’ new arena) at 5:30 PM PDT. This season, the Clippers became the first team to climb above .500 after starting 15 games below that mark.