Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Skip Bayless makes big claim about Kawhi Leonard's status for Mavericks series

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 4/19/24

Skip Bayless appears to have some info on Kawhi Leonard that no other reporter has at the moment.

Speaking Friday on FS1’s “Undisputed,” Bayless made a big claim about the LA Clippers star Leonard’s status for the team’s playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Bayless said that Leonard definitely won’t be playing in Sunday’s Game 1 but will be back in the lineup for Tuesday’s Game 2.

“I’m told he is definitely out for Game 1,” Bayless said of Leonard. “He will play in Game 2. He has a weird swelling in his knee that the Clippers’ doctors cannot figure out.”

Bayless also said that there is nothing structurally wrong with Leonard’s knee. But he added that another consideration for the Clippers in possibly holding out Leonard for Game 1 is that Leonard might not be ready yet to compete defensively against Luka Doncic.

.@RealSkipBayless is not confident in the Clippers with an unhealthy Kawhi Leonard:

“The Mavericks are playing at a higher level than a Clippers team with a question mark hanging over Kawhi.” pic.twitter.com/3o8gJQO58u

— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 19, 2024

The two-time Finals MVP Leonard sat out of the final eight games of the regular season with what the Clippers initially called “soreness” in his right knee and then later termed as “inflammation.”

The right knee is the same one that Leonard had ACL surgery on in 2021 and then a separate meniscus surgery on in 2023.

Several reporters, including Shams Charania of The Athletic, have said in recent days that Leonard is trending toward playing in Game 1. But during a media session on Thursday, Clippers president of basketball operations said that Leonard was questionable for the game, calling the swelling “stubborn” and adding that Leonard had yet to take any contact at that point.

Here is Lawrence Frank’s Kawhi Leonard update.

He’s not taking any contact yet. pic.twitter.com/ays7SGQiOu

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) April 18, 2024

As for Bayless, he is not generally regarded as a trustworthy news-breaker, but he does have a fairly decent track record when it comes to reporting on Leonard specifically. Time will tell if Bayless is right-on with his claim that Leonard will be out for Game 1 but back on the floor for Game 2.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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