Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard will be out for at least a week because of swelling in his left knee. The team announced Tuesday that he will undergo treatment and a rehabilitation program and be reevaluated in a week, per Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports. Yahoo noted that Leonard, 35, was already sidelined for Toronto's road loss to Minnesota on Sunday.
The length of the absence is where the reports differ. ESPN's Shams Charania reported, citing sources, that Leonard is expected to miss "a period of weeks." Hoops Rumors relayed that report and said the Raptors' formal update came in a press release. The team's own wording, as Sportsnet and Yahoo carry it, sets a one-week checkpoint rather than a return date. A reevaluation in seven days doesn't contradict a multi-week absence, but only ESPN's version suggests he won't be back when that week is up. None of the summaries we have mention structural damage or a specific diagnosis beyond the swelling.
The Raptors are 1-1 and third in the Atlantic, on a one-game losing streak. Our archive shows Leonard last played Oct. 21, when Toronto beat Chicago 135-92. Sunday's 117-94 loss at Minnesota was the game he missed, and it was lopsided. The Timberwolves led by 32 at their largest and shot 56 percent to Toronto's 38. Toronto went 10 of 38 from three and was outrebounded 49-34. Scottie Barnes went 0-for-12 in 28 minutes. RJ Barrett had 20 points, Immanuel Quickley 19, and Ja'Kobe Walter led the team with 22 on 5-of-8 three-point shooting.
Leonard's 2026 regular-season averages show what the Raptors are working without: 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 32.1 minutes over 65 games and 65 starts. He shot 50.5 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three and 89.2 percent at the line. He averaged more than five free-throw makes a game, and Toronto shot 14-of-21 from the line in Minnesota.
| GP | GS | MIN | FG | FG% | 3PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 65 | 32.1 | 9.8-19.4 | 50.5 | 2.6-6.8 |
If Leonard misses the full week, he is out for at least the next two games. Toronto hosts Orlando on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and the two teams meet again in Toronto on Friday, Oct. 30. The reevaluation the team set for a week from now is the next scheduled update on his knee.
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