The Toronto Raptors will be down a key piece in their biggest test so far early in the season.
Forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out of Sunday’s showdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves with left knee swelling, the team announced an hour before before tip-off.
Leonard, acquired in a blockbuster off-season trade from the Los Angeles Clippers, has laced up for the Raptors’ first two games of the year against the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.
The 35-year-old has had a slow start to the year on offence, averaging 19.5 points on 32.4-per-cent shooting from the field and 28.6 per cent from three-point range. He has added 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 3.5 steals while helping the Raptors to the second-best defence in the league through the first week of the season.
Leonard has dealt with knee injuries throughout his career, but enjoyed a relatively healthy season with the Clippers last year, appearing in 65 games and earning a second-team All-NBA nod.
In his first stint with the Raptors in the 2018-19 season, Leonard missed 22 regular-season games but helped the franchise to its first and only championship.