Will Kawhi Leonard Play on Thursday vs. Magic? Latest Injury Update on Clippers Star

The LA Clippers provided an injury update on Kawhi Leonard, who has missed the last eight games.

Oct 24, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) and forward Kawhi Leonard (2) Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) in the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It has been a frustrating start to the season for the Los Angeles Clippers for a multitude of reasons. The injury bug hit the Clippers early this season, already losing Bradley Beal for the season. Derrick Jones Jr. will miss at least the next six weeks, and Kawhi Leonard has missed the last eight games. The injury report for the Clippers' clash against the Orlando Magic on Thursday failed to provide the fans with any optimism.

The Clippers announced on Wednesday that Leonard will remain sidelined against the Magic, via Joey Linn of SI. Jones and Jordan Miller will also miss the game.

Clippers' Kawhi Leonard Will Miss 9th Straight Game on Thursday

The fact that Leonard was ruled out more than 24 hours before tip-off is certainly not a good sign. It suggests that the 34-year-old small forward is not nearing a return.

The last game Leonard played was against the Miami Heat on November 3. He suffered an ankle and a foot sprain in that game and has not been available ever since. GM Lawrence Frank revealed last week that Leonard's foot sprain was a "significant" one, but that he was making "really good progress".

This is another example of why Clippers fans need to take injury designations coming from the front office with a grain of salt. What adds to the frustration is that when Leonard was first injured, the severity of the injury wasn't revealed. Now, it has been two and a half weeks, and Leonard is still not near a return.

This is, unfortunately, familiar territory for the Clippers and Leonard. He missed the first 34 games last season with knee inflammation that was later revealed as a setback he suffered when participating in the US national team camp. He went on to miss 45 games.

Leonard has played in 272 games of 486 possible regular-season games as a Clipper. His absences have caused significant frustration among the fanbase and have been a major hindrance to the team's success.

In previous seasons, the Clippers have been able to weather Leonard's absences, but that hasn't been the case so far. Without Leonard, the Clippers are 1-7 this season.

Leonard's next chance to return will come against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, but he will presumably be doubtful at best for that game. The Clippers' road trip ends on Sunday against the Cavaliers, and they are back in Los Angeles with an NBA Cup clash against the Lakers on Tuesday. Hopefully, Leonard will be back in action for that game at the very least.