Kawhi Leonard Injury Update, Latest Rumors on Timeline to Return to Raptors amid Knee Swelling

Having already missed one game due to a knee injury, the Toronto Raptors are preparing to be without Kawhi Leonard for an extended period.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania , Leonard is expected to miss "a period of weeks" due to swelling in his left knee after an MRI revealed no structural damage.

The Raptors said in a statement that Leonard will be reevaluated in one week.

Leonard has not historically had major injury issues in his left knee. His right knee had the torn ACL during the 2021 playoffs and torn meniscus during the 2023 playoffs.

The Raptors held Leonard out of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to swelling in the knee. His absence came after playing under 30 minutes in each of Toronto's first two games.

Leonard had a slow ramp-up to the start of the regular season. He sat out he first two preseason games before making his debut on Oct. 13 against the New York Knicks.

In the two preseason contests Leonard played, he was on the floor for a total of 40 minutes. He played well in his first game with 21 points in 17 minutes.

Following the Raptors' 117-94 loss to the Timberwolves, head coach Darko Rajaković told reporters Leonard was set to undergo further testing after noticing an issue with his knee during his pregame warmup routine.

Leonard's performance in his first two regular-season games wasn't up to his usual standard. The seven-time All-Star shot 32.4 percent from the field, though he added 15 rebounds and seven steals in two Raptors wins.

The Raptors acquired Leonard in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to bring him back to Toronto for the first time since leading the franchise to an NBA title during the 2018-19 season.

Leonard signed a two-year, $115 million contract extension in September that ties him to the Raptors through at least the 2027-28 season. He has a $58.9 million player option for 2028-29.

Third-year guard Ja'Kobe Walter took Leonard's spot in the starting lineup against Minnesota.

The Raptors still have enough top-end talent with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to win while Leonard is out, but their ceiling in the Eastern Conference depends on how many games the two-time NBA Finals MVP is able to play this season.

Toronto will be back in action on Wednesday when it hosts the Orlando Magic at Scotiabank Arena.