Kawhi Leonard returning for Playoffs?

By all accounts, Kawhi Leonard has been working hard and looks to be in good shape, but the Clippers will be extra cautious with their franchise star. If they make it out of the play-in tournament, however, and Paul George and Norman Powell also return, Leonard would just need clearance from the medical staff to play again. And that door has been left open.
Source: ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Minor Clippers injury updates:
– Ty Lue says Paul George continues to progress, no plan yet on when he can practice but no setbacks
– Norman Powell not taking contact but able to “do some things” on court
– No update on Kawhi Leonard – 1:47 PM

NBA Kicks @NBAKicks
Kawhi Sig II – New Money just dropped in NBA2K and IRL!
@newbalancehoops • #NewBalance pic.twitter.com/GbB4Vudmgf – 4:45 PM

Mirjam Swanson @MirjamSwanson
Chris Haynes sources tell him: “A decision has not been made about whether he (Kawhi) will return or not.”
Otherwise, Norm is itching to get back out there and likely to do so. PG is progressing and playing 4-4 on with coaches, which, here’s that story: ocregister.com/2022/03/21/pau… – 10:14 PM

The Ringer @ringernba
🏀 Why the Celtics are serious contenders
🏀 How Pat Bev has changed the culture for the Timberwolves
🏀 The possibility of Kawhi and PG returning
#TheMismatch with @Chris Vernon and @Kevin O’Connor: open.spotify.com/episode/5Af1Xn… – 4:15 PM

Ohm Youngmisuk @NotoriousOHM
No Kawhi + PG should’ve been a death sentence this season. But Clippers have gone from a team that melted down in the bubble to making historic comebacks on way to the play-in as Ty Lue is showing what he can do without LeBron or any star: “He is the star” espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 2:34 PM

Andrew Greif @AndrewGreif
Tuesday in Denver the usual, injured and recovering Clippers are out: Kawhi, PG, Powell, Preston and Scrubb. – 6:35 PM

More on this storyline

Lue was asked if he is keeping the door open for Leonard, George and Powell even if they don’t return by the end of the regular season. “Hell yeah I keep it open,” Lue said. Lue added: “To hit the playoffs going at 100, from zero to 100, that is pretty tough. But if the medical guys say they are cleared and they are able to do that, that is totally up to them.” -via ESPN / March 21, 2022

As it stands, sources within the team believe that there’s a higher chance of Paul George returning than Kawhi Leonard this season. Make no mistake, Paul George isn’t in the clear, but he’s trending in a positive direction. The best hope for the Clippers is that he responds well to the non-contact ramp up, be cleared for contact, and then have some level of a return before the regular season ends. -via Sports Illustrated / March 12, 2022

A Kawhi Leonard return is starting to run on a very short window, and the likelihood of a return is starting to become more unlikely. -via Sports Illustrated / March 9, 2022