Kawhi out for 2-game set vs. Thunder due to stiffness in right knee

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was ruled out for Tuesday's contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder and will miss the second game Thursday after experiencing stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard didn't suffer a setback with his right ACL, but the team is exercising extreme caution.

"After shootaround, (he) experienced some stiffness in his knee," Lue said before Tuesday's game. "And so we want to be cautious, make sure we're doing the right thing by him, even though he wanted to play. We just thought it wasn't smart. He can be mad at us if he wants to."

Leonard sat out Saturday's game against the Sacramento Kings, the first of a back-to-back, and returned for Sunday's loss to the Phoenix Suns.

The 31-year-old forward suffered a torn ACL in the 2021 playoffs. He underwent surgery in July 2021 and missed the entire 2021-22 campaign. Leonard returned for the Clippers' season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, playing 21 minutes off the bench.