Jan 21, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Toronto Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic looks on during the second quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Jan 21, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Toronto Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic looks on during the second quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While the Raptors have not officially completed the trade for Kawhi Leonard yet, there is still time to bring him back to Toronto for the 2026-27 NBA season. Leonard would vastly raise the Raptors’ ceiling. If everything goes well, they could be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
But there is one major concern that could ruin everything: Leonard’s health. Leonard has played 60 or more games only twice in the six seasons since he left Toronto in 2019. When he’s not dealing with an injury, he needs to be load-managed and the coaching staff will have to be careful with his minutes to increase the chances that he will be fully healthy for the playoffs.
Fortunately for the Raptors, they won’t be the only big fish in the Eastern Conference trying to navigate load-managing their superstar while trying to win as many games as possible. Several other teams are in the same boat with injury-prone and/or aging superstars or key players fresh off serious injuries. So, while the Raptors could face some difficulties with Leonard’s health if they go through with the trade, at least other Eastern Conference contenders will have to worry about the same rather than just having a clear-cut advantage right from the jump.
Several Eastern Conference teams are built around stars with availability concerns
Joel Embiid has been the face of load management and injury trouble in the NBA for years. He hasn’t played more than 39 games in any of his last three seasons and never played more than 68 in his ten-year-long career. The 76ers’ success is heavily dependent on his availability, and now they will also have to manage 41-year-old LeBron James—although James has played at least 60 games in all of the past three seasons, and adding Jaylen Brown definitely helps.
Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t have the same injury history as Embiid, but he only played 36 games last season due to calf and knee injuries and only cracked the 70-game-mark once in the last five seasons. The Heat’s success relies entirely on his availability and health.
Moreover, the Pacers are welcoming back Tyrese Haliburton after an Achilles tear, and the Celtics made Jayson Tatum, who missed most of last season, including Game 7 of their first-round series, due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, their lone go-to star.
Just like the Raptors will be worried about Leonard’s ability to make it to the playoffs in one piece (if he joins the team), these other potential Eastern Conference powerhouses face the same risk of underperforming due to just one injury.
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