Raptors' Kawhi Leonard Set to Miss At Least Another Week Due to Knee Swelling

The Toronto Raptors will still be without superstar Kawhi Leonard for at least another week as the team announced on Tuesday that the 35-year-old is "continuing the reconditioning process" after undergoing treatment to address swelling in his left knee, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

With that, Leonard will be sidelined for at least three more games while the organization also said they will give another update in a week.

Over the last eight matchups, the impact of his absence has been felt. The Raptors suffered a brutal 117-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 25 as they lacked a reliable contributor who could make up for scoreless nights from Scottie Barnes and center Jakob Poeltl.

Toronto's offense was also unable to hold a candle to the Denver Nuggets who came away with a 128-109 victory last Wednesday on the heels of a monster triple-double from three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. Most recently, they were defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday in spite of Poeltl's impressive 18-point performance.

Prior to experiencing the knee issue, Leonard was averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in just his first year back in a Raptors uniform following six seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. He has also been elite from the free throw line, converting on 100% of attempts thus far.

It was no surprise that the Raptors pulled the trigger on a reunion with Leonard in the offseason given their quest for contention this year, but they are clearly paying their dues as remaining healthy has been Leonard's kryptonite.

He's not that far removed from a rough 2024-25 campaign that saw him miss 45 games due to left foot soreness and swelling in the opposite knee. Leonard would also miss the entire 2021-22 season after partially tearing his right ACL.

Still, Leonard's dominance on the court when he's at his best cannot be understated. Last season, he averaged 27.9 points per game, a figure that he is on pace to reach or even exceed this year provided he doesn't have additional setbacks.

Until Leonard is ready to go though, players outside of Barnes and RJ Barrett must find ways to hold the fort. Guards Alijah Martin and Jamal Shead have shown tremendous potential, coming off individual career nights last Friday.

The Raptors will remain at Scotiabank Area as they look to return to the win column this evening against the Boston Celtics.