Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
TORONTO — The Raptors returned to Toronto on Sunday night, ahead of their first and only pre-season game at home.
And after Kawhi Leonard was M.I.A. in the team’s first two exhibition contests to focus on physical reconditioning, the lingering question was whether he’d suit up against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic has answered that question.
“Yes, he went through practice today. He’s feeling great,” the bench boss said after practice on Monday. “So yes, he’s going to be available for the game tomorrow.”
Kawhi Leonard is AVAILABLE tomorrow vs. the Knicks per Darko Rajakovic.
“Yes, he went through practice today. He's feeling great. So yes, he's going to be available for the game tomorrow.” https://t.co/rNqBG6Jq6I
— Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh) October 12, 2026
It’ll be Leonard’s first on-court action since the Raptors officially re-acquired him in September after a months-long trade saga, and his first time in the team’s red-and-white uniforms since lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy and leaving in 2019.
While Rajakovic did not disclose details on how many minutes to expect from the enigmatic star or when he would be implemented, it’s clear that folks around the organization are as excited as the fans are for the seven-time all-star’s reintroduction.
“It’s going to be cool to see him in that first group,” said a surprised Jamal Shead, who was made aware of Leonard’s status-upgrade by reporters. “To see how they start the game and see where he’s at conditioning wise. I know that was one of his big focuses.
“He’s a talent, he’s who he is. I think just seeing where he is and how he fits with us is going to be fun, buecause I think he’s going to fit right in and it’s going to pop.”
Leonard was last seen on an NBA court in April, when he was still a member of the Los Angles Clippers and was wrapping up an All-NBA second-team campaign. He finishes that season with averages of a career-best 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals en route to a seventh-place finish in MVP voting.
After Tuesday, the 35-year-old will have two more opportunities to suit up during the pre-season although they’ll come as part of a road back-to-back against the Knicks and Detroit Pistons on Thursday and Friday.
But Leonard’s outlook wasn’t all that was discussed at practice from the OVO Athletic Centre on Monday. So here are some bonus takeaways from the media session.
Jamal Shead talks about learning from other small guards like Jalen Brunson:
“My rim finishing has to be better from last year. Point blank period.” pic.twitter.com/6uatqInLHS
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 12, 2026
Embracing early schedule grind
It’s safe to say the Raptors exhibition schedule was been somewhat unorthodox, beginning with just two games through 10 days and ending with three games in four nights.
But despite the jekyll-and-hyde of it all, the players and coaches are taking it all in stride.
Rajakovic ackowledged it’s not the ideal setup to prepare his team for the regular-season but also said he learned a long time ago that “the schedule is the schedule and all we can do as coaches is adjust to it.”
He added that “I think playing three games in four nights, coming back from the West Coast is not perfect, but I think it’s going to give us an opportunity to continue looking at different guys and different lineups.”
Lineups that might not include Chucky Hepburn (hamstring) or Trey Jemison III, who suffered injuries in Toronto’s win against Los Angeles in Vancouver on Saturday and are still being evaluated. Hepburn was at practice on Monday, albeit not participating — mostly putting up some shots on his own while rocking some comfy looking slides. The Raptors are expected to have an update on both reserve players on Tuesday.
How have the players felt about the unusual pre-season schedule?
“We’re just happy to play basketball again,” said Scottie Barnes. “I don’t really think it matters.We want to get better and it’s going to help us get better and prepare for the season.”
Shead had a similar response: “I’d rather have it now than be running into it for the first time after seven or eight games when all of our legs are not used to it. So it’s good to get it out the way now, get a feel for our bodies. I think we’ll get to see how in shape we are, where our bodies are, just how we have to help each other push through back-to-backs in smaller weeks like this one.”
And the Raptors will find out just how much that early taste of jam-packed basketball helped prepare for the 82-game grind sooner rather than later. Along with starting the season with three games in five nights, and six of its first nine games on the road, Toronto will also encounter three back-to-backs through the first month of action.
Big man balance
While plenty of noise has been made about Leonard’s re-addition to the Raptors, it’s gone under the radar how a healthier Jakob Poeltl will impact the lineup on a nightly basis.
Especially in reference to a now-sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles, who after spending much of his rookie season filling in for the hindered Austrian, is now trying to figure out how to play alongside him more often. According to Raptors Republic’s own Esfandiar Baraheni, the two have shared the floor eight minutes against the Clippers and had 32 possessions together in that span.
And during that time, it’s meant pushing the boundaries on Murray-Boyles development as a wing player, and relying less on the big-man stuff he found success with in Year 1.
The results have been mixed, with averages of 9.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks on 36.8/0.0/62.5 per cent shooting splits through two pre-season appearances for CMB.
He’s looked plenty comfortable when reverting to the big man stuff he got proficient as during his rookie season, but has looked equally discombobulated when making decisions away from the basket — Murray-Boyles nine turnovers against the Clippers to contrast his 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists, further proving that point.
But the 21-year-old can take comfort in the fact that both his coaches and teammates appreciate the challenge he’s been presented with.
“I think that there are a lot of upsides to (Poeltl and Murray-Boyles) playing together. (But) I think it’s going to be a work in progress,” explained Rajakovic.
“Collin played a majority of his minutes last season at the five position. He did an outstanding job. That’s going to continue to be a very important part of his game. And it’s not easy to change those habits. Instead of going to the rim every time, now you’re going to be spacing a little bit different. You’re going to be more in the corners, more in the high quads, a little bit more on the ball. I’m trying to tell him ‘it’s still the game of basketball. Just be you, just be a player there.’ It’s going to take time for those two guys to figure out how they can play off of each other, how they can complement each other.
“There is a lot of upside. When you look at the rebounding, when you look at opportunities for us to crash, when you look at defensively what those two guys bring for our team, there is a lot of upside. Those guys are so good.”
And while Rajakovic later admitted playing Poeltl and CMB together meant acknowledging the impact their presence would have on floor-spacing from a schematic perspective, Shead was hardly concerned from his vantage point on the court.
“Collin’s ass can shoot. Collin’s ass can dribble. He can do everything a guard does, he just has to get used to it again,” the backup PG said. “He played a lot of five last year, was a little hobbled throughout the year, but that guy can play any position on the floor that you really need him to. He just has to slow down and do it. So he’ll figure it out with the more time that he plays.”
Barnes echoed that sentiment: “Obviously, we’ve just got to keep finding out our spacing, how it’s going to work, but that’s what (the pre-season) is for right now. Seeing how it looks, how can we use it throughout the season and figure out how we can put it in our practice plan so they can play through it … I think when (Poeltl and Murray-Boyles are on the floor) our defense really steps up, plays faster, more physical, just plays smart. (On offence), someone go dunker, someone set screens at the top of the key and we can roll. We still have confidence in Collin shooting the ball, be ready to space out, be ready to shoot, but still be in attack mode.”