Kawhi Leonard is back with the Raptors, but his return to the floor is still on hold.
According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, Leonard is with the team in Toronto and getting treatment, though he has not been cleared for on-court work yet. Toronto said Tuesday that Leonard had successfully completely completed his treatment and was set to start his return-to-play process. Earlier reporting had pointed to a multi-week absence because of swelling in his left knee.
Leonard has appeared in only two games in his second stint with the Raptors, and his most recent action came on October 23.
There’s also a fresh batch of injury news around the league.
Lakers star Luka Doncic will sit out Sunday’s game in Detroit because of tightness in his lower back, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Los Angeles is on the first night of a back-to-back, and McMenamin noted that Doncic was also held out in a similar spot when he missed his first game of the season on Oct.
- He had originally been listed as questionable for the matchup.
In Chicago, veteran center Nic Claxton is set to make his season debut against Philadelphia, Bulls coach Tiago Splitter told reporters, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Claxton has been working back from a hamstring strain and will come off the bench in his first game with the Bulls.
Lorenzi reported that he’ll be limited to roughly 16-to-20 minutes. Chicago will also be without Norman Powell, who has right shoulder inflammation/soreness, Zach Collins because of a respiratory illness, and Dailyn Swain due to right disc irritation.
Washington got a scare on Saturday when Deandre Ayton left in the second quarter of the Wizards’ blowout loss to Oklahoma City with a lower leg injury. The team announced that he was ruled out for the rest of the game, and it remains unclear whether the injury will cost him more time. Ayton is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
In Other News...
Raptors Face A Costly Domantas Sabonis Debate They Cant Ignore
The idea of Domantas Sabonis landing in Toronto is the kind of front-office debate that naturally follows a team trying to climb back into contention. His value is obvious on paper: a high-level facilitator on the interior, a relentless rebounder, and the sort of big man who could make life easier for playmakers like Scottie Barnes while giving the Raptors a very different offensive shape.
But any serious conversation about Sabonis also comes with real complications, and that is where the Raptors have to weigh fit against cost. His defensive limitations are part of the equation, and so are the financial and roster consequences of making a move that large, which is why this kind of speculation is more than just idle chatter around the league. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Frontcourt Problem Could Reopen A Familiar Reunion
Precious Achiuwas name has a way of lingering around the Raptors whenever the frontcourt picture gets messy, and this season has only kept that conversation alive. Since leaving Toronto, he has continued to show the kind of defensive versatility and energy that made him an intriguing piece in the first place, while also reminding teams that his value goes beyond raw numbers. For a Raptors group still sorting out its big-man rotation, that makes him a familiar fit worth revisiting.
The wrinkle is timing, because Achiuwa cannot be dealt until mid-January, which leaves Toronto with a waiting game if it wants to explore a reunion. The possibility becomes even more interesting in the broader trade chatter around Domantas Sabonis, where Achiuwa could surface as part of a larger frontcourt shuffle. For now, the idea sits in the category of plausible and practical, even if the path to making it happen is still very much unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Suddenly Have A Rotation Problem JaKobe Walter Cant Ignore
The Raptors got a rare win over the Bucks while missing Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, but the bigger takeaway may have been the way the back end of the rotation started to shift. Alijah Martin stepped into the opportunity and delivered a career-high 27 points, while Jamal Shead made his first start of the season and handed out 16 assists, giving Toronto a much-needed jolt of pace and poise in a game where the usual hierarchy was out of the picture.
For a team trying to sort out its guard and wing minutes, Martins performance could make the next few decisions a little trickier. He looked like a player willing to seize a larger role, and that puts JaKobe Walter in an uncomfortable spot after a rough shooting stretch. Toronto has a lot to balance once its regulars are back, but nights like this tend to linger when coaches start deciding who deserves the next crack at meaningful minutes. [Read more 🡒]