Why latest Kawhi Leonard injury update could be bad news for the Magic 

Unfortunately, NBA fans are used to hearing bad injury news about LA Clippers’ star Kawhi Leonard by now. Since joining the Clippers in 2019, Leonard has never played more than 68 games in a season. Now, he will miss some time again. 

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Leonard will be out indefinitely due to the inflammation in his right knee. The Magic are set to play the Clippers in November and in April. If Leonard is not playing in one or both of those games, the Magic might be able to add some extra wins to their record. 

Other than that, the implications of Leonard missing significant time could be bad news for the Magic. The Western Conference is incredibly strong, and the Clippers are not in a good position to win much. Paul George left to join the Philadelphia 76ers, and Kawhi Leonard was already injured before the start of the regular season. That leaves them with James Harden to carry the team to the playoffs. 

Unless the Clippers find a way to work a miracle, they will likely miss the playoffs. There are too many teams eying a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies, Rockets, Kings, and Warriors all missed the playoffs last season and are aiming much higher this time around. That combined with the Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Suns, Pelicans, and Lakers just offers too much competition for the Clippers to make much noise, especially without a healthy Kawhi Leonard. 

How is that bad news for the Magic? Well, the Clippers still owe the Oklahoma City Thunder a first-round pick swap from when they traded for Paul George. If that pick turns into a lottery pick, the Thunder will get another high-end talent while still playing at an incredibly high level and developing the players already on the roster. The 2025 NBA Draft is projected to produce several great players, and one of them will likely land with the Thunder now. 

The Magic do not want the Thunder to become even better 

If the Magic are one of the best up-and-coming young teams in the league, the Thunder are the team they are chasing. Oklahoma City secured the number one seed in the Western Conference last season with the youngest roster ever. 

They are what the Magic are hoping to become sooner rather than later. If the Magic get to that level, they will have to battle the Thunder for years to come because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren are not going anywhere. 

The Magic already have plenty of catching up to do. After all, the Thunder already have an MVP candidate and are one of the favorites to win the Western Conference this season. They are several steps ahead of the Magic despite not being much older. Catching up with the Thunder will be much more difficult if Oklahoma gets another talented lottery pick just because the Clippers are not playing well.