Raptors Star Kawhi Leonard Out With Knee Injury

The Toronto Raptors have announced that forward Kawhi Leonard will undergo a treatment and rehabilitation program for swelling in his left knee. Although diagnostic imaging has confirmed no acute injury, Leonard is expected to be sidelined and will be reevaluated in one week. This timeline will cause him to miss Monday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, the team's only scheduled visit to the Clippers this season.

This marks the first instance since 2019 that Leonard has experienced injury-related issues with his left knee. During the current season, he has averaged 19.5 points while shooting just 32.4 percent through the initial two games. Leonard's past includes leading Toronto to an NBA championship in 2019 before joining the Clippers. He later spent seven seasons in Los Angeles, receiving four All-NBA selections but missing one entire season.

Further complicating matters, in September 2026, the NBA penalized the Clippers and Leonard for salary-cap circumvention violations, resulting in significant fines and draft pick forfeitures for the team, and a $700,000 payment from Leonard. The trade that sent Leonard to Toronto was initially put on hold during the NBA's investigation before being finalized.

With Leonard's return timeline uncertain beyond the initial week, the Raptors are preparing for a challenging November schedule. This upcoming period includes five games against Eastern Conference playoff contenders: Philadelphia, New York (twice), Boston, and Detroit.