Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said before Game 4 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

Leonard missed Los Angeles’ final eight regular-season games due to inflammation in his right knee and then sat out the series opener before returning to action.

However, he's clearly not at full strength after combining for 24 points in Games 2 and 3.

“When you watch him play, it was very obvious that is not Kawhi Leonard,” Frank said. 

The Clippers are without Kawhi Leonard (right knee inflammation) for Game 4 and there are no assurances that he'll return in this opening-round series vs. the Mavericks. https://t.co/4WZ6y6uNwU

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 28, 2024

A three-time First-Team All-NBA selection, Leonard played in 68 games during the regular season – his most since 2016-17 - and averaged a team-high 23.7 points to go along with 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.63 steals per contest.

“It’s definitely devastating for Kawhi, all the work he’s put in this year and the amount of games he’s played and worked hard to get to this point, to the place he wants to be in the playoffs,” Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue said.

“And then to be hurt and not be able to be 100% and play the way he’s capable of playing. I feel bad for him.” 

Dallas leads the series 2-1.

“We’ve played without Kawhi before,” Lue said. “We can’t hang our heads. We understand what it takes, what we have to do, how we need to play, the blueprint. And we prepared for both situations.

"Just thank Kawhi for trying to get out there and trying to do what he can.”