Bayless Hints At Kawhi Leonard Leaving Clippers After Injury Mess

FS1's Skip Bayless claims that NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard felt his partially torn ACL was misdiagnosed by the LA Clippers 'from the start.'

DALLAS - The Los Angeles Clippers announced on Tuesday that superstar Kawhi Leonard underwent successful surgery to repair a partially torn ACL. The timetable for his potential return remains unclear as he enters free agency as the top name on the market. 

The handling of Leonard's injury was confusing at the time. During a postgame presser in the Western Conference Semifinals, Leonard proclaimed that his knee is 'all good' but was later ruled out indefinitely after previously having been declared 'questionable.' 

READ MORE: Dirk Nowitzki ‘Honored’ By NBA 2K Mavs Covers; Dishes On Mentoring Doncic

On FS1's UNDISPUTED, Bayless expressed his belief that Leonard and his inner circle always felt as though his injury was 'misdiagnosed' by the Clippers' training staff. As a result, he wouldn't be 'shocked' by 'another Kawhi bombshell' this offseason. 

"Given the fact that Kawhi and his inner circle believe that the Clippers' staff misdiagnosed this injury from day 1, I am not going to be at all shocked if we get another Kawhi bombshell."

"Given the fact that Kawhi and his inner circle believe that the Clippers' staff misdiagnosed this injury from day 1, I am not going to be at all shocked if we get another Kawhi bombshell."

— @RealSkipBayless on Kawhi's torn ACL pic.twitter.com/y9elwQ4CPj

— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) July 14, 2021

Bayless touched on the unpredictability that comes with Leonard's track record of decision making. With the underlying claim that he and his inner circle feel as though the Clippers' staff 'misdiagnosed' his knee injury, Bayless insinuates Leonard could make 

Bayless is essentially insinuating that Leonard could leave the Clippers given the 'misdiagnosis' of the knee injury that ended up requiring surgery. Of course, he's not reporting this, so take that with a grain of salt. 

READ MORE: Beal Reacts To Luka Comment On Olympic Gold Vs. NBA Title Comment

If Bayless' sources are correct on Leonard feeling as though his injury was misdiagnosed, it's certainly worth monitoring. To be fair, Bayless was the first to report that Leonard's knee surgery would require surgery and was more serious than initially led to believe. 

Whatever Leonard ends up deciding to do in free agency is very relevant to the Mavericks' offseason plans. Dallas has already been linked to Leonard as a 'serious threat' if he were to leave the Clippers. Bayless did not mention the Mavericks on his list of teams when speculating where 'elsewhere' could be for Leonard if he left the Clippers. 

Even if the Mavericks do end up being the team to sign Kawhi Leonard, the team would need to be patient to get him back on the court. Luka Doncic would need to shoulder the load as he normally has done until Leonard is ready to give it a go many months from now, however many that may be. 

READ MORE: Could Kawhi Leonard's ACL Surgery Impact Mavs' Pursuit In Free Agency?