The Toronto Raptors will have to wait at least another week for Kawhi Leonard to return, after the team said Tuesday morning that the All-Star forward is beginning treatment and rehab for swelling in his left knee.
Medical imaging did not show an acute injury, but Toronto is choosing caution with Leonard because of his knee history. He will stay in Toronto for the treatment program and be re-evaluated next Tuesday.
Leonard already sat out Sunday’s 117-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which was his first absence of the 2026-27 season. The team ruled him out after noticing an abnormal buildup of excess fluid in the knee. Now, after additional testing and evaluation, the Raptors have decided he needs at least a week away from game action.
This latest setback comes after Leonard had finally enjoyed a healthier stretch. The 2025-26 season was the first time in a while he managed to stay on the floor consistently, playing 65 games for the first time since the 2023-24 season and only the fifth time in his 15-year NBA career.
His knee issues have mostly centered on his right leg in the past. In 2021, he suffered a partially torn ACL in that knee and missed the entire 2021-22 season. He also tore his right meniscus in 2023 and has dealt with chronic soreness and inflammation over the last several seasons.
Leonard’s arrival in Toronto this offseason came through a blockbuster trade with the LA Clippers, who sent him to the Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks. That deal was delayed because of the NBA’s investigation into Leonard and the Clippers for salary cap circumvention.
The league and the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz spent nearly a full year on the case before concluding the Clippers violated the salary cap circumvention rules in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The NBA said the investigation uncovered “a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization,” which had already been punished in 2015 for cap circumvention issues involving DeAndre Jordan.
The penalties were steep. The Clippers lost five first-round picks between 2029 and 2033, were fined $30 million, and saw owner Steve Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker hit with one-year suspensions. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months, and the franchise is now under a compliance and monitoring program for the next five years.
Leonard did not receive those kinds of punishments. He was fined $700,000, but he was not suspended and his contract was not voided.
The Raptors initially agreed to acquire Leonard in June, but the trade was not finalized until the second week of September because the investigation was still ongoing. Once everything was cleared, Leonard signed a two-year, $115 million extension that keeps him under contract in Toronto through the 2028-29 season, when he will have a player option.
Toronto brought Leonard back to pair him with Scottie Barnes and give the roster a proven star presence. Last season with the Clippers, Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range.
For now, the Raptors will have to press on without him. Third-year wing Ja'Kobe Walter is expected to take on a bigger role after scoring a team-high 22 points against Minnesota. Leonard will miss at least the next four games, including Toronto’s Nov. 2 trip to face the Clippers - the only Raptors visit to Intuit Dome this season.
The team said more updates will come after Leonard’s re-evaluation next week.
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Orlando is dealing with its own setbacks, with Paolo Banchero expected out for 4-6 weeks because of a right high ankle sprain and Jalen Suggs sidelined for two games with a right knee bone bruise. Anthony Black, who had been listed as questionable, has been cleared to play, giving the Magic at least one more available body as both teams adjust to a suddenly thinner game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Face An Early Test As Injuries Raise The Stakes
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Orlando comes in dealing with its own injury problems, with Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs both sidelined, which changes the look of the game even if the challenge remains real. For Toronto, that only adds to the importance of handling business against a depleted opponent, because the Raptors can use a clean offensive performance just as much as they need a result. [Read more 🡒]
Scottie Barnes Is Raising A Real Concern For The Raptors Offense
Scottie Barnes early-season shot profile has become a notable wrinkle for the Raptors, and not necessarily the kind that encourages confidence. Instead of living at the rim the way he has in past seasons, Barnes has been leaning more heavily into mid-range looks, a shift that has altered the balance of Torontos offense and taken some of the pressure off defenders to protect the paint.
Darko Rajakovic has said opposing coverages have played a role in that change, but the larger concern is whether Barnes can get back to being a consistent paint threat while still operating as a playmaker. He has already shown flashes in the opening stretch, then followed that with a rough shooting night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which only adds to the sense that Toronto is still trying to figure out how best to use its most important young piece. [Read more 🡒]