Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard will be out for at least one week because of swelling in his left knee, the team announced Tuesday. Leonard, 35, was sidelined for Toronto's 117-94 road loss to the Timberwolves on Sunday, and he will begin a treatment and rehabilitation program for the knee. The Raptors said medical imaging revealed no acute injury, a positive sign for a player with Leonard's history.
The one-week minimum covers at least four games for Toronto: home games against the Magic on Wednesday and Friday, a trip to face the Lakers on Sunday, and a November 2 visit to the Clippers, his first matchup against his former team. The Raptors are 2-1 on the season after wins over the Bulls and Wizards. Leonard was acquired from the Clippers in a trade agreed on June 30 and finalized in September, in a deal that sent Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and multiple draft picks to Los Angeles.
Swelling in a knee is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It can reflect irritation of the joint lining, a bruise, or underlying cartilage or ligament damage, which is why a clean imaging result matters. Leonard's most recent left knee issue was a contusion suffered against the Pistons in January while with the Clippers, which kept him out for the rest of a road trip. In 2019, he suffered a left knee contusion after banging knees in a game against the Rockets on November 13 that cost him three straight games, and later that season he sat out a game in Indiana with left knee soreness as part of injury management.
Kawhi Leonard Injury History
The left knee has given Leonard far less trouble than the right, which is part of what makes this development notable. His right knee required surgery in July 2021 to repair a partial ACL tear, an injury that ended his 2021-22 season before it began, and he tore the meniscus in that same knee in the 2023 playoffs, leading to a cleanup procedure. In 2024, persistent right knee inflammation forced him to miss the final eight regular-season games and most of the first-round series against Dallas, and he had another offseason procedure on the knee. The Raptors will have to balance Leonard's availability against a long history of knee problems, and the key signals are his progress through the rehab program, any additional imaging, and whether he is cleared before the one-week window closes.
