Kawhi Leonard will have to wait at least another week before he can get back on the floor for Toronto.
The Raptors announced Tuesday that Leonard remains in the reconditioning process after treatment for swelling in his left knee. He has been out since Oct. 23, and the latest update doesn’t change the basic timeline much. Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reported Sunday that Leonard had rejoined the team but still wasn’t taking part in on-court work.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca pointed to Nov. 27 as a possible target for Leonard’s return, noting that he’ll need several practices before he’s cleared to play again. With the Raptors set to be in Toronto from Nov. 21 through Nov. 27, Grange wrote that Leonard would have time at home to build back up.
Leonard was out again Monday, though he was back on the bench for Toronto’s home loss to Memphis, Grange reported. The injury situation didn’t stop there.
Scottie Barnes missed his second straight game because of a left adductor strain, while Immanuel Quickley sat out for the second game in a row with a right hamstring issue. The team has not offered updates on either player.
Grange said Toronto figures to be careful with Quickley, especially considering his hamstring problems late in 2025/26. Collin Murray-Boyles also missed Monday’s game because of an illness.
The timing is rough, with Toronto’s next four games coming against Boston, Philadelphia and New York twice.
Even in the loss, there were a few bright spots. Jakob Poeltl followed up his recent absence from a couple of games with left shoulder bursitis by posting 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds and four blocks in 31 minutes. Jamal Shead kept rolling, too, notching his second straight double-double with 20 points and 11 assists after setting a career high with 15 assists in Friday’s win at Milwaukee.
Darko Rajakovic was also asked recently about the uneven minutes Trayce Jackson-Davis has seen early this season. Grange wrote that the Raptors coach tied that to Jackson-Davis’ effort level, saying, “ A lot of motor, energy, being able to guard his position, rebounding,” Rajkovic said of what he wants to see from Jackson-Davis.
“ He’s a very, very talented player. When he plays with a lot of energy, a lot of motor, he’s an awesome player, he can help us.”
Grange also dug into Alijah Martin’s best game of the season on Friday and his promise to “stay ready” after that performance. Martin, who re-signed with Toronto in July on a two-year minimum-salary deal after his rookie year on a two-way contract, said he is still working back toward his old burst after offseason knee surgery.
“ I remember just preparing for Summer League … I was trying to make a mark there (and) going really hard back in Boca (Raton, Florida) every day with my trainer, and then we got back here (Toronto), and it’s like something (was) still nagging,” said Martin. “ We check it out, and then I just gotta get (surgery) done.
So I went through that. That was a process itself (and) it’s still a work in progress today.
Just feeling all the way 100 percent, and that pop, that explosiveness is still coming back. It’s been a long, long journey, man.”
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