The LA Clippers frontcourt has some help on the way. Mason Plumlee is nearing a return after nearly a two-month absence. Plumlee could play as soon as Monday, as he's nearly fully recovered from a sprained MCL in his left knee.

Plumlee was injured during the Clippers loss at the New York Knicks on November 6. He's missed LA's last 25 games.

During Plumlee's absence, the Clippers signed Daniel Theis. The veteran center worked a buyout with the Indiana Pacers before joining LA. Plumlee will pair with Theis to give Ty Lue additional depth behind starting center Ivica Zubac.

LA Clippers coach Ty Lue said that Kawhi Leonard's timeline to return from a hip injury remains unknown. Part of the uncertainty is that Leonard hasn't been cleared to practice yet.

Lue said Leonard's hip contusion was a reaggravation of a previous injury. Leonard originally hurt the hip against the Utah Jazz on December 8, but played through the injury. He reaggravated it in a fall against the Dallas Mavericks.

Prior to this injury, the Clippers star had played in the team's first 27 games. That included four back-to-back sets. Leonard has now missed four straight games with this current hip contusion.

The Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks have a "healthy level of admiration" for PJ Tucker, sources told Marc Stein of Substack.

Tucker, who was traded to the Clippers as part of the James Harden deal, has not played since November 27.

Tucker is making $11 million this season and has one more guaranteed year. 

Host Danny Leroux talks with Jared Dubin of Last Night in Basketball about the NBA season so far.

They discuss Kawhi Leonard’s dominance, how opponents defend the Thunder, teams to watch ahead of the trade deadline and much more.

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Kawhi Leonard missed his first game of the regular season on Thursday night due to a sore hip.

Leonard was replaced by Amir Coffey in the starting lineup.

The Clippers lost to the Thunder 134-115 without Leonard. 

The Los Angeles Clippers have had their healthiest start to a season since acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in 2019.

Leonard hasn't missed a game yet, while George has only missed one due a sore hip. Leonard and George played in the first 23 games, which is their longest stretch of consecutive games together on the court since joining the Clippers in the summer of 2019.

Leonard and George were often cited as the most prominent example of the NBA's new player participation policy, but they have been on the other side of it so far this season.

"We should sue for -- what do they call it? -- negligence," Leonard joked to ESPN.

"We had injuries that we were trying to keep minimal," said George.

"No one knows what we go through, what and where our bodies are at. But they paint that picture on us as if we were sitting games out like we wanted to."

"I thought it was very, very unfair and a low blow," Lawrence Frank told ESPN. "But we've said from the beginning we have to earn it. ... Were our guys hurt? Yeah, they were hurt. When they're healthy, do they play? Yeah, they play."

"What I love with [Leonard] and Paul is just the ownership they've taken in being Clippers," he continued. "Your best players, they do it with their actions."

Leonard said playing every game this season is just about being healthy again and "was never about no rules [policy]."

Paul George is considered day-to-day with a hip injury, according to Ty Lue.

George, who missed his first game of the season on Thursday night, suffered the hip injury on Tuesday night against the Kings.

The Clippers play the Knicks on Saturday night.

P.J. Tucker all but confirmed a recent report that he's unhappy with his role, or lack thereof, with the LA Clippers. Tucker said it's hard to be okay with his role in LA when he doesn't have one.

“I don't have a role on this team right now. I'm not playing. I'm out of the lineup. It was a decision that was made, and I'm living with it right now," Tucker said. "But obviously, I feel like I still got a lot to contribute to a team to be able to win, whether that's here or somewhere else. And here, it's just not there right now. So I want to do what I can do.”

Tucker reaffirmed he believes he can help a contender on the floor. He said a balance of contributing and winning is what he's looking for. While he's out of the rotation, Tucker said he'll continue to mentor rookie Kobe Brown. However, despite talking to Clippers head coach Ty Lue, Tucker said he doesn't expect things to change as far as lack of his playing time.

“We've had little talks, and, you know, we understand the situation. It is what it is. There aren’t minutes to be had for me right now and it kind of just is what it is," Tucker said.

P.J. Tucker is frustrated with his role, or lack of one, with the LA Clippers. Tucker has been a DNP-CD for the last five Clippers games. That lack of playing time has left Tucker unhappy, since he's used to being a rotation contributor.

LA head coach Ty Lue recently moved rookie Kobe Brown into the rotation. Tucker has been professional about losing his playing time to Brown and has helped the rookie forward with his adjustment to the NBA.

Multiple contending teams are reportedly monitoring Tucker's status. The veteran forward is owed $11 million for this season. Tucker has an $11.5 million player option for next season.

James Harden spoke about his exit from the Philadelphia 76ers in an exclusive interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic. In the interview, Harden confirmed he believes there was a broken promise of a max contract during the 2023 offseason. When it became evident to Harden that the Sixers were preparing an offer below the max, he decided to opt into his $35.6 million contract while demanding a trade.

Harden was asked to explain his thought process when he decided he wanted to leave the Sixers and whether it was always exclusively to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"It was about trying to get to a situation where I could get paid and obviously have a chance to win at the highest level," said Harden. "These last few years, I sacrificed so much — whether it’s role, whether it’s financial — that, at this point, it’s over with. I just want to be able to move forward and still have the opportunity to make some money and obviously win at the highest level."

Amick asked Harden if he was told by the Sixers that a contract was coming.

"A max?" replied Harden.

Harden then said "Yes" and confirmed that it was said by Daryl Morey.

But Morey stopped communicating with Harden following their exit from the playoffs.

"Yeah, me and Daryl had a really good relationship. So (in the past), a week or two after we lose in the playoffs, it would be all about trying to figure out how to improve the team. (They’d talk about) ‘How do we get better?’ And that’s been going on for 10-plus years, you know what I mean? And then this year, there was no communication. And at that point, it’s like, ‘OK, I see what’s going on.’ I’m very intelligent. So then I just figure out ‘What’s my next move, and what do I want to do?’ So I understand that, at the end of the day, this is a business. And just like he has to do what’s best for his organization, I’ve got to do what’s best for me and my family. It’s as simple as that."

Later in the interview, Harden claims that Morey spoke with his representation about a contract before the start of last season's playoffs. A source from the Sixers denied the claim to The Athletic. 

Harden then reflected on his unique relationship with Morey and how it ended.

"Yeah," said Harden. "It surprised the hell out of me, you know what I mean? I looked at it like a marriage. We talked about a lot of s—. And we’ve got a lot of s— that, in front of people’s eyes, you don’t know or understand. But instead of (Morey) having a conversation with me (about free agency) or saying, ‘All right James, we don’t want to offer you this, but we have this.’ Then we go back and forth, and that’s a dialogue. But you just ice me out? Then it’s like, you don’t respect me as much as I thought you did. You don’t need people like that, you know what I mean? So it’s just bad karma. People were throwing dirt on my name, but the good guys always win."

Harden doesn't plan on reconnecting with Morey anytime soon.

"There’s too much money, too much respect (lost) and too much loyalty on my end to even double back (with Morey). There’s nothing to talk about. There’s nothing to talk about. This is real money."