Clippers' Kawhi Leonard will earn the final spot on the U.S. roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will earn the final spot for the US men's basketball team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, according to the Daily Mail. Jeff Zelgit to USA Today.

The athlete Shams Charania and Joe Vardon USA Basketball has all but decided its Olympic roster with one spot remaining open, it was reported Monday. They added that Leonard “is the prime candidate” for the slot.

Based on his reputation and performance this season, the 6'7″ forward is an obvious choice for the Olympics. He averaged 23.7 points on a career-high 52.5 percent shooting along with 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

However, Leonard has not taken the court since the Clippers' 130-118 win over the Charlotte Hornets on March 31 due to knee soreness, and missed the final eight games of the regular season. His status at the start of the playoffs is still a bit of a mystery.

If the 32-year-old is willing to commit to the 2024 Summer Olympics, that could indicate his knee injury is not serious. That, in turn, could be read as a positive sign regarding his postseason availability.

Assuming he is healthy enough to go, this will be Leonard's first Olympic gold medal win. He reached the final in 2016 and 2021, withdrawing before the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro before not participating in Tokyo.

His inclusion reinforces Team USA's overall thirst to atone for their fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup. Other notable players selected by the NBA include LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Anything short of a gold medal for the United States would be considered a major disappointment.