Kawhi out Sunday with shoulder strain

Kawhi Leonard will miss a game for the sixth time in 14 opportunities Sunday, but it's not because of the ongoing management of the quad injury that cost him the team's first 27 contests.

The Spurs have listed Leonard as out against the Portland Trail Blazers due to a left shoulder strain, a concerning twist as the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year continues to recover from the quad issue.

Leonard has essentially missed every other game since returning to action on Dec. 12, with the team listing the absences as "injury management." It's not known when he strained his non-shooting shoulder, although he played 29 minutes in the Spurs' Friday win over the Phoenix Suns. Leonard is also still playing under a minutes restriction, exceeding over 30 minutes only once since his return.

The 26-year-old is still shaking off some offensive rust, averaging 15.9 points on 32.4 percent 3-point shooting. He's hitting his career average in steals, however, at 1.8 per game.