Toronto Raptors forward Khem Birch will not be in the lineup for the team's home opener Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to swelling in his left knee.
Head coach Nick Nurse said the swelling appeared after practice on Monday. What's especially notable about the news is that the swelling is not on the knee that Birch had surgery on earlier in the off-season.
In addition to Birch, new forward Otto Porter Jr., will also miss the game as he continues to work back from a hamstring injury that kept him out of most of the pre-season. Chris Boucher, who missed the end of the pre-season with a non-COVID illness, is questionable for the game while guard Malachi Flynn has been cleared to play after dealing with a cheekbone fracture.
