Rumors: NBA Analyst drops Kawhi Leonard injury bombshell ahead of Mavericks series

On Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks begin their postseason journey against the LA Clippers. This was a series that every fan was begging for as the Mavs lost to LA in the playoffs in 2020 and 2021, and there are tons of storylines heading into this series.

Some of the biggest storylines from this series have been regarding injuries to key players on both squads, and the Mavs recently got great injury news regarding Dereck Lively II.

Lively II has been a full participant in practice since Tuesday, and all signs are pointing to him playing in game one on Sunday.

While the Mavs have gotten good injury news from their side, the Clippers haven't been as lucky. Kawhi Leonard hasn't participated in a full practice this week heading into the series, and an NBA Analyst recently dropped a bombshell about Leonard's status for game one as he battles knee inflammation.

Skip Bayless says Kawhi Leonard is out for game one of Mavericks series

On FS1's UNDISPUTED, Skip Bayless reported that he heard that Leonard will "definitely" be out on Sunday against the Mavericks. Bayless also said that Leonard will be playing in game two and that he "has a weird swelling in his knee that the Clipper doctors cannot figure out."

It's unclear how plugged in Bayless is within the NBA circles, but it wouldn't be a shocker to anyone if Leonard misses time. He has had knee problems for multiple seasons that have come along with multiple surgeries, and things aren't looking great when it comes to his status for game one and the entire series.

No one is at 100 percent when the playoffs hit due to the long season, but Leonard has not played since March 31 and the fact that he hasn't done any contact work in practice ahead of the series is an awful sign. The game is just over 48 hours away, and things could have to progress quickly for Leonard to be ready to go depending on how accurate Bayless' sources are.

The Mavericks will be ready to roll once Sunday rolls around, and everyone can't wait to see Doncic battle the Clippers once again. The Mavericks-Clippers rivalry never gets old, and the Mavs could run away with this series due to their advantage in the health department.

For all the latest on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks ahead of their first-round series against the LA Clippers, stay tuned.