Kawhi Leonard in line for first Raptors game in seven years Tuesday against the Knicks

Kawhi Leonard is expected to wear a Toronto Raptors uniform in a game for the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals when the New York Knicks visit Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, October 13, Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic reported Monday. The exhibition would give Toronto its first look at the forward it rebuilt its offseason around, a week before the regular season begins.

Leonard did not play in either of the Raptors‘ first two preseason games. Those absences were not tied to an injury, according to the reports, and he has since been cleared to play. His workload is expected to be limited on Tuesday. The club had not issued its own confirmation of his availability by Monday afternoon, and no minutes target or starting role has been made public.

Toronto has brought the 35-year-old along slowly. He took part in a full practice for the first time this camp on Monday, October 5, and told reporters the following day, “I feel good. Being smart, taking it slow,” according to TSN. The Raptors went 1-1 in his absence, closing their Canadian swing with a 114-106 win over the Clippers in Vancouver on Saturday.

A long road back to Toronto

The trade that returned Leonard was agreed on June 30, when Shams Charania of ESPN reported the framework, but it was not completed until mid-September. The league first looked into whether Leonard and the Clippers had circumvented the salary cap, and most of the resulting penalties landed on Los Angeles. Los Angeles received Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick plus a package of draft compensation: Toronto’s unprotected firsts in 2031 and 2033, the right to swap first-rounders in 2027, and a pair of seconds.

Leonard spent only one season in Toronto the first time, arriving from San Antonio in July 2018 and leaving as a free agent after leading the franchise to its only championship. He was Finals MVP that June, averaging 28.5 points against Golden State, and then played seven seasons for the Clippers.

What he brings at 35

Leonard is entering his 15th NBA season after one of his most productive years. He scored a career-best 27.9 points per game across 65 appearances in 2025-26, shooting 50.5 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three and 89.2 percent at the line, and he finished seventh in MVP voting while earning a spot on the All-NBA second team.

His contract pays him $50.3 million in 2026-27, its final season. ESPN’s Bobby Marks has noted that he can sign a two-year extension with Toronto worth up to $123.7 million.

What comes next

• Tuesday, October 13: Knicks at Raptors, Scotiabank Arena (Game Center)
• Thursday, October 15: Raptors at Knicks, Madison Square Garden (Game Center)
• Friday, October 16: Raptors at Pistons, preseason finale (Game Center)

Whether Leonard plays more than one of the remaining three exhibitions has not been announced.