Clippers Rumors: 'No Definitive Plan' for Kawhi Leonard to Avoid Back-to-Backs

The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly aren't planning on automatically keeping Kawhi Leonard sidelined for a leg of back-to-backs, even though he missed Wednesday's 129-124 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of Thursday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

According to Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, "There is no definitive plan to have Leonard avoid playing in any back-to-backs, of which the Clippers have 13 total this season."

Instead, the team and Leonard—who hasn't played in a back-to-back since he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs in April 2017—will handle his rest schedule "on a to-be-determined basis" multiple weeks in advance as the season progresses.

There has been some controversy surrounding Leonard's absences, in part because of the league's national television deals. He also missed the front end of a back-to-back in an October contest against the Utah Jazz, and both of his missed games were broadcast on ESPN.

Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times noted the league can fine teams starting at $100,000 for resting healthy players for nationally televised games, but the Clippers have not been fined because they have designated Leonard as sidelined for "load management," which counts under the injury or illness category instead of rest.

"Kawhi Leonard is not a healthy player under the league's resting policy, and, as such, is listed as managing a knee injury in the L.A. Clippers injury report," league spokesman Mike Bass said. "The league office, in consultation with the NBA's director of sports medicine, is comfortable with the team medical staff's determination that Leonard is not sufficiently healthy to play in back-to-back games at this time."

The strategy certainly worked for Leonard last season on the Toronto Raptors.

He appeared in 60 games while avoiding back-to-backs and averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per night. More importantly, he was largely healthy going into the playoffs and led Toronto to its first championship in franchise history.

Leonard hit a Game 7 buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, outlasted league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals and defeated the powerhouse Golden State Warriors while winning Finals MVP.

Expect the Clippers to continue managing Leonard's playing time and possibly Paul George's once he returns from offseason shoulder surgeries.