Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard "could return to game action within the next two weeks, barring any setbacks," according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

The news comes as Leonard returned to practice Tuesday as he tries to work his way back from his knee injury, head coach Ty Lue told reporters:

Despite the positive development, Leonard has not been cleared for contact and will not return for Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets. The forward is yet to play in a game this season.

Injuries are a constant storyline surrounding Leonard at this point of his career, and it was no different at the start of the 2024-25 season. He started the campaign on the sidelines because of a knee injury, and ESPN's Shams Charania reported the expectation was he would miss "weeks" as he recovered from offseason surgery.

The Clippers star also withdrew from Team USA ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics amid his recovery.

The knee setback was all the more disappointing for Leonard since he was fairly durable in 2023-24 while appearing in 68 regular-season games. Yet he missed the majority of the team's first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks and is again dealing with ailments this season.

Leonard hasn't played more than 68 games since the 2016-17 season. He also missed the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign and played just nine games in 2017-18.

When healthy, he is one of the best players of his generation with a resume that includes two championships, two NBA Finals MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, six All-NBA selections, seven All-Defensive selections and six All-Star nods.

Los Angeles will continue to rely on James Harden as its go-to option while Leonard is sidelined, while Norman Powell also plays a key role.