The Raptors are expecting to be without star forward Kawhi Leonard for “a period of weeks” as a result of the swelling in his left knee, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Issuing a formal update on Leonard, the Raptors said today in a press release that he’ll undergo treatment and a rehab program to address that swelling after imaging didn’t reveal any “acute injury” (ie. structural damage) in the knee.
According to the team, the plan is to reevaluate the 35-year-old in one week.
Leonard, who was traded from L.A. to Toronto in September following a lengthy delay due to the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers’ salary cap circumvention, was ramped up slowly during the preseason, appearing in just two of the Raptors’ five exhibition games this month.
The two-time Finals MVP played in the first two games of the regular season, and while he shot just 32.4% from the floor in those outings, he averaged 3.5 steals in just 26.0 minutes per game and helped lead Toronto to a 2-0 start before being ruled out for Sunday’s contest in Minnesota due to swelling in his knee.
Based on the timeline provided by the Raptors, it sounds like Leonard will miss at least the next four games — the team will host Orlando on Wednesday and Friday before visiting Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Sunday and the Clippers on Monday.
That means the former Clipper won’t be in action for the Raptors’ only visit to Intuit Dome this season. And based on Charania’s reporting, it sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll miss at least a few additional games beyond those next four.
In Leonard’s absence, third-year wing I’m Kobe Walter entered the starting lineup on Sunday. Walter is a prime candidate for an increased role with Kawhi out, with rookie forward Allen Graves and veteran swingman Kyle Anderson among the others who figure to move up Toronto’s depth chart.