Nate Bittle will sit out Sunday's Summer League game against the Nuggets with right knee soreness, according to the Sept. 6 injury report. The Raptors center is listed as day-to-day, with an expected return date well before Toronto's regular-season opener on Oct. 3.
What happened
The Raptors listed Nate Bittle as day-to-day on the Sept. 6 injury report, with a right knee/leg issue. No previous status had been announced for the 23-year-old center. Zulfi Sheikh of Sportsnet reports that Bittle will not play in Sunday's Summer League game against the Nuggets because of right knee soreness. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 1, more than three weeks away and before Toronto opens its regular season.
What it means for the Raptors
Toronto has not played a regular-season game yet, sitting 0-0 as the 2026-27 season awaits its Oct. 3 opener against the Heat on NBA TV. Bittle has no season stat line to speak of this year, and the knee issue has surfaced only in a Summer League setting. If Toronto needs frontcourt cover once games count, the team's returning rotation projects Brandon Ingram at 33.8 minutes and 21.5 points a game, Scottie Barnes at 33.5 minutes and 18.1 points, and Jakob Poeltl at 25.0 minutes and 10.7 points. There is no record to report with or without Bittle since no regular-season games have been played.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Bittle's status changes as Summer League wraps up. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 1, two days before Toronto opens the regular season Oct. 3 against the Heat. Three other Raptors — Chucky Hepburn, Alijah Martin and Immanuel Quickley — also carry day-to-day tags on the same report, so Toronto's medical staff has more than one case to track before the opener.
Is Nate Bittle playing vs the Nuggets?
No. Bittle will sit out Sunday's Summer League game against the Nuggets with right knee soreness, per the Sept. 6 injury report.
When will Nate Bittle be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Oct. 1. Toronto opens its regular season Oct. 3 against the Heat, after that date.