The Clippers and the Thunder are tipped to be two of the top contenders in the Western Conference in the 2024-25 NBA campaign. However, both teams were recently dealt a huge blow to their NBA 2024 odds after catching the injury bug anew.
Kawhi Leonard’s knee is flaring up once again, so don’t expect him to play a lot for the Clippers this upcoming season. On the other hand, Isaiah Hartenstein’s regular season debut with the Thunder will have to wait after he injured his hand.
Elsewhere, Kevin Durant is mulling his long-term future with the Phoenix Suns, as he is slowly approaching the tail end of his NBA career.
Just in case you missed it, don’t worry, as SBOTOP has you covered with the latest NBA 2024 updates.
Leonard is out indefinitely due to knee rehab
ESPN’s Shams Charania and Ohm Youngmisuk reported that Kawhi Leonard will be sidelined indefinitely as he continues to rehabilitate from his right knee inflammation that has bothered him for quite some time now.
According to Clippers head coach Ty Lue, the team doesn’t have a firm timeline for Leonard’s return.
“(There is) no timeline,” Lue said of Leonard’s timetable. “Like we said from day one, it is going take some time. He’s going to progress, he’s doing all the right things, he’s working hard and he’s looking good.”
Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played at all during the Clippers’ entire preseason, and he hasn’t participated any on-court activity during the team’s training camp.
This summer, Leonard was supposed to represent the United States during the Paris Games, but the two-time NBA Finals MVP was eventually replaced by Derrick White due to an injury setback.
Leonard is coming off his healthiest season in a Clippers uniform, as he played 68 regular season games in 2023-24, posting norms of 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest on 52.5-per cent from the field and 41.7-per cent from three-point land.
Since joining Los Angeles in 2019, Kawhi Leonard has missed 179 of a possible 435 games, including a full regular season in 2021-22 due to a torn ACL.
With Leonard sidelined, the Clippers will largely rely on James Harden to shoulder the offencive cudgels, and he’ll need help from Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, Terance Mann, and Derrick Jones Jr. since Paul George is now in Philadelphia.
Hartenstein’s Thunder dealt with a bad hand
ESPN’s Shams Charania also broke the news (no pun intended) that Isaiah Hartenstein will be out for at least five to six weeks due to a “small, non-displaced” fracture on his left hand he sustained during the Thunder’s preseason victory over the Nuggets.
Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed a three-year, $87 million deal, was one of the biggest free agency additions by Oklahoma City this summer, including Alex Caruso. The former G League Finals MVP was brought in to improve their rebounding, one of the team’s Achilles heels last season.
Hartenstein is coming off a 2023-24 campaign where he averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks on 64.4-per cent in 75 regular season games (49 starts).
Due to the injuries of Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein carved out a role for himself as the Knicks’ starting center, especially during the postseason.
With Hartenstein expected to miss around 16 regular season games, this opens up more opportunities for Jaylin Williams, Kenrich Williams, and Ousmane Dieng, while Chet Holmgren will play most of his minutes at the five, rather than the four, position.
Oklahoma City are aiming to build off their top seed finish in the Western Conference last term (57-25). After sweeping the Pelicans in the first round, the Thunder’s postseason run was cut short by the Mavericks in the second round in six games.
Durant opens up on looming extension talks
Kevin Durant will enter the final two years of the four-year, $194 million deal he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2023.
The 36-year-old swingman can sign a one-year, $59.5 million extension, but according to reports, Durant is biding his time until next summer, when he’ll be eligible for a two-year, $123.8 million extension.
“I’m not even thinking about it,” Durant said on Thursday. “I’m just going to play out my contract really, and just focus on that. Focus on the team. I haven’t even really had conversations with anybody about a contract. Trying to focus on basketball.”
Durant made it clear he isn’t too worried about his next contract since he’s all-in for the Suns this season, as he’s trying to win the third NBA title of his career.
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