Gary Trent Jr. Returns For the Raptors vs. Wizards

Gary Trent Jr. is back.

The Toronto Raptors will have the 24-year-old back in the lineup Friday night against the Washington Wizards, Raptors coach Nick Nurse announced pre-game. Trent had missed six straight games due to a nagging left ankle injury he suffered during pre-game warmups back on Jan. 9.

Trent had been in a bit of a funk prior to his injury. He'd averaged 14.3 points on 36.4% shooting and 30.6% three-point shooting in the six games following his bout with COVID-19. Prior to that, he'd averaged 16.8 points on 43.4% shooting and 38.3% shooting in his first 27 games of the year.

While Trent will have to be eased back into things, his presence should give Nurse another reliable player to work with in the rotation. Prior to Trent's return, Nurse had gone with a very tight seven-man rotation, leaving Svi Mykhailiuk, Yuta Watanabe, Dalano Banton, and Malachi Flynn on the bench.

Toronto remains without Khem Birch who is expected to re-join the team at some point next week following surgery to fix his broken nose.

Johnson Enter Protocols

Rookie second-round pick David Johnson has entered COVID-19 protocols. Chris Boucher is now the only member of the team who has yet to enter protocols this season.