Kawhi Leonard's Injury History is Risk Raptors Are Willing to Take

Now that the Kawhi Leonard trade has been officially processed, the Toronto Raptors can now focus their sights on training camp and rounding out the roster. We’ve already seen Leonard reporting to Toronto and connecting with Coach Darko Rajakovic along with the training staff.

As we all know, Leonard’s health was closely monitored during his championship run with the Raptors back in the 2018-2019 season. He already has an established relationship with Vice President, Player Health and Performance Alex McKechnie which will prove to be very important if the Raptors are to optimize Leonard's impact on the court.

Kawhi’s well-known track record of injuries will directly affect the Raptors rotation and how they manage his workload over the course of the 82-game season. If Kawhi goes down with a major injury at any point of the season, it will create a number of questions around rotations, lineup combinations and what type of player they may call upon from the 905 squad.

Kawhi Leonard's Injury History

The main issue the Raptors are going to want to keep tabs on is his knee as he’s missed considerable time over the past several seasons. Here is a highlight of the major injury concerns over the course of Leonard's career.

San Antonio Spurs: 7 Seasons - 407 Games (58 games per season on average)

Dec 12, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in action during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the Spurs 95-89. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Leonard’s final season with the Spurs didn’t count for much as he only played nine games in the 2017-2018 campaign. Many will remember the ongoing rift between Leonard and the Spurs as he was shut down due to the issue with his quadriceps.

The quad injury is not to be confused with the ‘Zaza Pachulia incident’ that occurred in the 2017-2018 postseason. This, of course, is where Leonard rolled his ankle after Golden State Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia stepped in to close out the shot. He would miss the rest of the postseason as the San Antonio Spurs were eliminated.

Toronto Raptors: 1 Season - 60 Games

Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard ponders his next move as he's guarded by Bucks center Brook Lopez in the first half Thursday night. Nba Milwaukee Bucks At Toronto Raptors | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Raptors fans don’t need much to jog their memory of their historic run to the franchise’ first championship. Nick Nurse rolled out the infamous ‘load management’ game plan with Leonard throughout the course of the season. Aside from some flare-ups with his knee, Leonard received multiple ‘rest’ days and did not play any back-to-back games.

Los Angeles Clippers: 7 Seasons - 331 Games (47 games per season on average)

Apr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) leaves the court after being defeated by the Golden State Warriors during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In June 2021, Leonard tore his ACL during the Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz, which caused him to miss the entire 2021-2022 season. The injury was a lingering issue in subsequent seasons that would hinder his availability in playoff appearances for the Clippers.

Leonard logged 68 games for the Clippers in the 2023-2024 season, which was the most he played for the franchise.

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