Toronto hosts the Knicks on October 13, the first of two preseason meetings with New York this month, with Kawhi Leonard still day-to-day for a reason the team has called not injury related. The numbers worth tracking sit below the scoreboard: who is logging minutes, what the payroll looks like, and where last season's ratings left this roster.
Minutes On The Move
Ja'Kobe Walter is playing 33.7 minutes a night over his last five games, 12.2 more than his season average. Jamal Shead is up 11 minutes a night over his last three games with a teammate out, and RJ Barrett has added 10 minutes a night over the same stretch. None of it is a settled depth-chart change. These are small preseason samples, and they move again once the day-to-day list clears out.
The Payroll Math
Toronto is carrying $202.5 million in salary this season, about $2.1 million above the $200.4 million tax threshold. Three contracts drive that number: Leonard's $50.3 million, Barnes' $41.8 million and Quickley's $32.5 million. That spending followed a season that ended 46-36 with a net rating of plus-2.9, 11th leaguewide, a defense ranked 5th paired with an offense ranked 14th. The bill shows ownership funding continuity after the Leonard trade closed in September; it does not say whether that mix climbs the ranking table against a deeper East.
A Measuring Stick Return
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley arrived in Toronto as part of the December 2023 trade that sent OG Anunoby to New York, and they open preseason play against the Knicks on October 13, the first of two meetings this month. Last season Anunoby averaged 16.7 points over 67 games for New York; Barrett averaged 19.3 and Quickley 16.4 across fuller Raptors workloads. A preseason game cannot settle who won that trade. It only shows where each roster stands right now.
Is Kawhi Leonard playing against the Knicks on October 13?
Leonard is listed day-to-day for a reason described as not injury related, with an estimated return date of October 13, the day of the Knicks game.
Why is Jamal Shead playing more minutes right now?
With a teammate out, Shead's role has grown from the bench to 11 more minutes a night over his last three games.
