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Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Clippers aren't violating league rules with their load management plan for star forward Kawhi Leonard, the NBA announced Wednesday. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement that the league has no issue with Leonard missing games because he has been dealing with a knee injury.
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"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 LA Clippers injury report," Bass said. "The league office, in consultation with the NBA's director of sports medicine, is comfortable with team medical staff's determination that Leonard is not sufficiently healthy to play in back-to-back games at this time."
Leonard will miss Wednesday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on ESPN, marking the second straight week that the All-NBA forward will sit out of a national TV game.
It's also the second time in two weeks that his national television absence fell on the opening game of a back-to-back for the Clippers. Leonard didn't play in the Clippers' 110-96 loss to the Utah Jazz on Oct. 30, which was nationally televised.
Leonard, who has battled multiple injuries in recent years, hasn't played a back-to-back since playing for the San Antonio Spurs in April 2017. According to ESPN, the Clippers have no plans in the near future to play him in back-to-backs during the regular season.
The NBA approved a new policy in September 2017 that allows league commissioner Adam Silver to fine teams a minimum of $100,000 if they decide to sit healthy players for national television games.
Leonard has averaged 29.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game in six contests this season.
