Kawhi Leonard won’t come to the San Antonio Spurs’ rescue during the postseason.
The Spurs forward will miss the rest of his team’s playoff games, Yahoo! Sports’ Shams Charania reported Sunday, citing NBA sources.
Leonard currently is in New York City doing rehab work on the right quadriceps injury that cost him all but nine games during the regular season. Leonard’s doctor’s reportedly haven’t cleared him to return to the court, and the Spurs might not have activated him if they gave him the go-ahead.
Charania’s report ends speculation over whether the two-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year would return to the team in time to contribute in the playoffs. The Spurs don’t expect Leonard to return to the team during the playoffs even as a spectator, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
San Antonio lost Game 1 of its first-round series against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. Game 2 will take place Monday night.
Leonard’s name has appeared in a host of recent trade rumors, with some linking him to the Boston Celtics. Expect the trade talk to continue now that the prospect of him making headlines for on-court reasons this season has all but evaporated.
