“I’ve talked to Kawhi at nights where he’s, you know, almost crying, just talking about, you know, how he’s let the team down. But, you can’t do anything about injuries.” Giving an update back in early December, Clippers head coach Ty Lue highlighted just how much Kawhi Leonard was suffering mentally over not getting to play. The player continued being sidelined by that point as he continued to suffer from complications from a right knee inflammation that he sustained back in March 2024.

It wasn’t until the matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, over a week ago, that Leonard finally made his debut. After having already missed 34 regular season games, Clippers fans would not want the small forward to miss anymore. Fortunately, for those fans, there is some good news on the horizon.

According to the LA Clippers Injury Report, P.J. Tucker is the only player listed. This indicates that, unless some last-minute complications occur, Kawhi Leonard is available to take on the Miami Heat within the next few hours. NBA reporter Tomer Azarly also confirmed this in his official update, along with adding that “James Harden and the rest of the team should be good to go.”

That is, everyone except for P.J. Tucker. Both the player and the franchise reached an agreement back in October, under which Tucker won’t be with the Clippers for the time being. The exact reasons behind this decision, and the timeline of his absence, remain unknown.

Making his season debut against the Atlanta Hawks, Kawhi Leonard went on to play for only 19 minutes. Despite this, he made good use of his time and scored 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. He faltered a bit on the shooting front, as he made only 4-11 (36.4%) field goals, and 3-5 (60%) three-pointers. There wasn’t much improvement on his end in the next game too.

Leonard missed the recent matchup against the Denver Nuggets, though it wasn’t due to an injury. The Clippers star’s family had a home in Pacific Palisades, one of the areas in Los Angeles that was severely hit by the ongoing Southern California Fires. As highlighted by Chris Haynes, Leonard stepped away to help his family, who had to evacuate from the area.

He wasn’t the only NBA fraternity member who went through this crisis. JJ Redick’s family and Steve Kerr’s mother had to evacuate too. Fortunately, Kawhi Leonard’s peers were willing to accommodate him. Even though he has already missed more than 90% of the season till now.

“He’s been good,” said Ty Lue when providing an update on Leonard. “It’s a tough situation for him, dealing with his family and house. We’re here to support him, not just Kawhi, but anyone in the community who needs help. We’ll be there.”

As of now, no updates indicate that the 33-year-old needs to take a longer period of absence. Therefore, his availability during the upcoming matchup against the Miami Heat is almost confirmed.

Speaking of the Miami Heat, the franchise would have been free from injury woes if it wasn’t for two players. Shooting Guard/Small Forward Josh Richardson hasn’t played a single game since the Philadelphia 76ers matchup back in mid-November. He continues to recover from his heel ailment, and won’t return in time to take on the LA Clippers.

Meanwhile, shooting guard Dru Smith had sustained a torn Achilles tendon during the Heat’s 110-95 win against the Brooklyn Nets. As a result, he will now be ‘OUT’ for the remainder of the season. The 7-game suspension under which Jimmy Butler was placed continues, causing the Heat star player to miss the matchup against James Harden and co.

Given these updates, both teams will not have to make too many adjustments to their starting lineups.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Clippers-Heat game look like?

In light of the above-mentioned updates, the starting lineup for the LA Clippers is expected to look like this:

Similarly, given the update for the Miami Heat, their starting lineup might look something like this:

The LA Clippers or the Miami Heat? Who will you be rooting for? Let us know in the comments section below.