Leonard's Left Knee Puts His Raptors Return on Hold Again

Kawhi Leonard is out weeks with swelling in his left knee, the Raptors confirmed. He was a late scratch for Sunday's road game against Minnesota and is expected to miss the Lakers game as well, with no firm timetable beyond that. The team noted the swelling is not in the same knee that required reconstructive surgery — a distinction worth having, though not one that makes the situation comfortable.

Leonard is 35 and back in Toronto after his time with the Clippers, a tenure defined more by missed games than the ones he played. His body has been the story for the better part of a decade now, and this start has that familiar feel. The Raptors knew the risk when they brought him back; this is what that risk looks like in the first weeks of October.

With Leonard out, the forward rotation falls to RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes to carry the load. Neither is a stranger to heavy minutes, and the depth chart isn't bare. But Leonard was presumably part of the plan here, and weeks of absence early in a season have a way of stretching.