Will Kawhi Leonard Play in Raptors Preseason? Coach Rajakovic Gives Update

Kawhi Leonard was notably absent from the Toronto Raptors' preseason opener against the Miami Heat in Quebec City.

His presence, or lack thereof, was definitely felt since the Heat played Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo in his debut with the team. It isn't a huge deal for star players to sit out of the preseason, but with Leonard joining a new team, it might be valuable for him to get some reps with his new teammates so he can get on the same page with them before the games start to count.

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic explained why Leonard didn't play against the Heat and revealed when he would make his Toronto return.

“I mean, we’ve got to have in mind the last time he played live against players was a (play-in tournament) game against Golden State last season,” Rajakovic said via Sportsnet insider Michael Grange. “He didn't play any live at all this whole summer, and obviously when it was time to ramp up and play, the trade still had not gone through.

“So we're being super cautious just to build him up the right way. I think the plan is to have him sit out; he's going to have a whole week working out. Probably he's not going to play against the Clippers (in Vancouver next Saturday) as well. And hopefully at that point, we're going to start including him in games after that.”

Raptors Playing it Safe With Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard talks to the media during Toronto Raptors Media Day. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Leonard and load management have been in lockstep with each other throughout his career, and his return to the Raptors is no exception. Toronto needs to protect its 35-year-old potential leading scorer and ensure that he is healthy for as many games of the regular season as he can play. Last season, Leonard played 65 games with the Clippers, which is the minimum number of contests one has to appear in to be eligible for All-NBA awards, which come with bonuses on contracts.

That might be the ideal goal Leonard is setting for himself in the upcoming season, but Toronto probably would like to have him out there for all 82 games if possible. The primary objective for Leonard, however, is to be healthy come playoff time.

If that means sitting out a preseason game or two, so be it. The Raptors have four more preseason games before their season opener on Oct. 21 against the Chicago Bulls.

They want him to be ready to go for that particular game, but with signs already pointing to him missing the team's next preseason game in Vancouver against his former Clippers team, Toronto fans can expect a potential Leonard return on Oct. 13 when the defending champion New York Knicks come to Scotiabank Arena.

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