Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet left Sunday’s scrimmage against the Portland Trail Blazers with what the team described as a “banged left knee” and will not return.
VanVleet grabbed his knee and went to the locker immediately after a knee-on-knee collision with Portland’s Anfernee Simons.
It would be a devastating loss for the Raptors if VanVleet missed significant time, with the team holding a three-game lead over the Boston Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. VanVleet averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 assists per game prior to the NBA’s pause and continued to feature as an excellent on-ball defender for the Raptors.