{
  "id": 11792520,
  "title": "Kawhi Leonard held out of Raptors’ pre-season game",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/kawhi-leonard-held-out-of-raptors-pre-season-game",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T23:03:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12086793/kawhi-leonard-held-out-of-raptors-pre-season-game/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard did not participate in Saturday's pre-season game against the Miami Heat in Quebec City. The 35-year-old, who was part of the team's championship-winning squad in 2019, was traded back to Toronto from the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this summer. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic confirmed to reporters prior to the game that Leonard would not be on the court for the match, and it's likely he won't play against the Clippers in Vancouver on October 10. Leonard's trade to Toronto was held up for two months as the NBA investigated potential salary-cap violations involving both the Clippers and the Toronto Raptors. Despite that investigation, Leonard delivered strong performances for the Clippers, averaging 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks over 65 games. He was also named to the all-NBA second team last season. This report, originally published by The Canadian Press on October 3, 2026, highlights Leonard's absence from the Raptors' pre-season game.",
  "summary": "Kawhi Leonard wasn't in the Toronto Raptors' lineup for Saturday's pre-season game against the Miami Heat in Quebec City.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}