The United States has lost one of its top options for the coming Olympics.
Los Angeles Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics, USA Basketball announced Wednesday morning.
“Kawhi has been ramping for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas,” USA Basketball said in the statement. “He felt ready to compete. However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it’s in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris.”
Leonard has been slowed by a number of injuries in recent years, playing in just 229 games over four seasons with the Clippers.
He did play in 68 games with the team in 2023-24, his most since signing in Los Angeles. In those games, he averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals on 52.5 per cent shooting from the field.
However, a right-knee injury forced him to miss the end of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. He suited up for just two games in the series and was clearing limited, averaging 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Leonard had said earlier in the week that his knee was not a concern for the Olympics and that he was able to return to on-court training about three weeks before Team USA opened its camp.
USA Basketball announced later Wednesday that Boston Celtics guard Derrick White will replace Leonard on the roster.
White is coming off an NBA title with the Celtics, and played for the U.S. in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Named to his second straight All-Defensive Team in 2023-24, White stuffed the stat sheet every night in Boston. The 30-year-old averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks over 73 games on 46.1 per cent shooting from the field and 39.6 per cent from three.
Team USA begins its pre-Olympic exhibition schedule on Wednesday night against Canada. You can watch the game on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet+, with tip-off scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT.