The Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is ready to return from the knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2021-22 season.

Clippers head coach Tyron Lue told the reporters after the team's practice on Friday that Leonard will play in a preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

Lue was happy with how his player looked in the past two practices as well.

"He [Leonard] looked really good. Went through everything, both practices, so it was good to see," said Lue.

Leonard had not played since a Game 4 win over the Utah Jazz in the second round of the NBA playoffs on June 14, 2021, when he suffered a partially torn ACL.

The two-time NBA champions and Finals MVP said earlier this week that he feels stronger after a long time with no basketball and just working out with weights.

"I feel stronger, yeah. I feel stronger for sure. It's been, what, 14-15 months of no basketball. That whole 13-14 months process is just lifting, lifting weights, and getting stronger. But I definitely got a lot stronger," said Leonard.

In his first season in Los Angeles in 2019-20, the 31-year-old averaged 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game

In his second season with the Clippers in 2020-21, he averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 52 games.