Kawhi Leonard finishes his knee treatment and starts the Raptors' return-to-play process

Kawhi Leonard is back in Toronto and working toward a return. The Raptors said Tuesday that he "has successfully completed treatment to address left knee swelling" and will now begin the return-to-play process, per Sportsnet and ESPN. The team will give an update in one week.

That timing makes Nov. 11 against Boston the earliest he could play, ESPN reported.

How he got here

Leonard felt something in his left knee during warmups before the Oct. 25 game at Minnesota and was scratched, according to USA Today. He has missed five straight games. An MRI showed no structural damage. Sportsnet reported, citing league sources, that the problem was irritation from long-term wear and tear and not a new injury.

He had been getting treatment away from Toronto. Coach Darko Rajakovic said on Oct. 29 that there was no timetable, and Chris Haynes had reported then that Leonard would miss at least three to four weeks. The Raptors didn't say Tuesday whether that window has changed.

What Toronto has missed

Leonard played only two games before the knee flared up. He averaged 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals but shot 32.4% from the field, per Sportsnet. Toronto is 4-3 overall and 2-3 without him.

"We feel (his absence) everywhere," Rajakovic said. "We feel it defensively, offensively, the shot creation, the calmness he brings to the team on the court."

The left knee is new trouble. Leonard's past surgeries were on his right knee, for a torn ACL in the 2021 playoffs and a meniscus tear in 2023, both with the Clippers. He is 35 and in his first season back in Toronto, where he won the 2019 title and Finals MVP, after the Clippers traded him this offseason. He then signed a two-year, $115 million extension, per ESPN.

The Raptors play at Denver on Wednesday night.