The return of Kawhi Leonard seems to be gaining some steam, but there are still some steps he has to clear before he gets back on the court. Leonard recently practiced fully with the Clippers but will be out against the Golden State Warriors, and he will stay back on this upcoming road trip in order to practice with the G League Clippers, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.

Nonetheless, this is still good news to hear about Leonard since he hasn't played at all this season. His constant knee issues have left many wondering when he would return, and it looks like it may be closer than expected.

Kawhi Leonard close to returning

Kawhi Leonard looks on from the bench in street clothes during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at American Airlines Center.
Chris Jones-Imagn Images
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Earlier this month, Kawhi Leonard officially returned to practice, and head coach Tyronn Lue planned to bring him along slowly.

“He's not playing this week, but he's getting better,” Lue said earlier this month. “[The next step is] just continue to keep doing what we're doing. Just make sure he is learning so when he gets back he won't be behind. So just going through the plays, going through our defensive coverages, our foundation, and just keep building up to his able do contact, so I'm not sure when that's going to come.

“He has to do a lot more things to really get back on the floor. We just want to make sure he's a hundred percent. We don't want to get him out there. 70%, 75%. Like, let's just take our time, make sure we get it right. Like I said, our medical staff with Maggie Bryant, Todd Wright, Jasen Powell, those guys have done a great job just making sure that he's checking every box, not speeding through it, not skipping steps. We're not going to let him skip steps and so we want to do right by Kawhi. They've done a good job.”

Since then, it seems as though Leonard has progressed and is almost ready to hit the court. Having Leonard back will be big for the Clippers, as they'll have another go-to scorer alongside James Harden. He's also been one of the better defenders in the league, which is a plus on the court. When he does return, it wouldn't be a surprise if he was on a minute restriction and he didn't play back-to-backs to start. The Clippers are going to try everything they can to try and preserve Leonard for later in the season.