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Kawhi Leonard may play as the Toronto Raptors open pre-season against the Miami Heat in Quebec City on Saturday. It's the first NBA game ever in Quebec City.
QUEBEC CITY — The Toronto Raptors wrapped up their final practice at Laval University on Friday ahead of their pre-season opener against the Miami Heat on Saturday night at the Videotron Centre. The main question: will returning Raptor Kawhi Leonard play? The game marks the first-ever NBA game in Quebec City, and it is already sold out.
Kawhi Leonard's Status Uncertain
Leonard, who helped Toronto win the 2019 NBA championship and was traded back to the Raptors from the Los Angeles Clippers this past summer, has yet to participate in full-contact drills. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said he would consider playing Leonard on Saturday but indicated it seems unlikely, as the team has been cautious with the oft-injured star during training camp.
After Friday's practice, Rajakovic joked that since Leonard beat him in a light one-on-one drill, maybe he will play against the Heat. It is a day-to-day situation with Leonard, according to the coach.
Eastern Conference Arms Race
Both the Heat and the Raptors have added perennial All-Stars this season. Miami now features new centre Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Philadelphia has added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. The Eastern Conference looks significantly different than it did at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Rajakovic acknowledged that most teams in the Eastern Conference have improved, but he remains focused on his own team. Expectations are changing, and we do not care what other teams say about us, Rajakovic said. We have high expectations from Day 1, that is how we work, that is how we approach it.
The Raptors are set to face one of the most improved teams in the NBA. Rajakovic said most of his regulars will play against the Heat, including point guard Immanuel Quickley.
Quickley Emulates Leonard's Two-Way Game
Quickley said he tries to emulate the two-way game that Leonard has mastered. My dad got me to watch Leonard play when he was with the Spurs, Quickley said. He talked to me about Leonard's defence, and Leonard was the first person I saw as a two-way player. That is the way I am now, to play offence and defence, as not a lot of players like to do that.
Rajakovic said he is very happy with how the first days of training camp went, but now it is time to see how the team stacks up against outside competition.
Every team in the NBA is super-excited at this time of year, everybody likes their drills, but the players are sick and tired of going against each other, Rajakovic said. So we are excited to go out and play someone else. The game tomorrow will also give us a lot of answers.
The first-ever NBA game in Quebec City is already sold out, something Rajakovic has noticed. We are a little bit spoiled everywhere we go in Canada, he said. We are spoiled but at the same time we are very grateful, as we understand the importance of the Raptors in the different Canadian cities and communities, and the influence the team has on the younger generation.
After playing the Heat in Quebec City, the Raptors continue their training camp in British Columbia before playing the Clippers — Leonard's former team — on Oct. 10 in Vancouver.
Toronto Raptors Kawhi Leonard Miami Heat Quebec City NBA Pre-Season Darko Rajakovic Immanuel Quickley
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