Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler Among NBA Stars to Sit Out on Saturday Night
A trio of former All-Stars will be inactive on Saturday night, with all three sitting out for either rest or injury rehabilitation.
Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard will rest against the Wizards per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, while his opponent from Friday night, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, is out against the Knicks due to "left ankle recovery" per the team.
Leonard scored 31 points last night in the Raptors' 113-101 victory at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Hayward tallied 14 points on 13 shots.
In the Western Conference, Jimmy Butler will be held out of Minnesota's contest at Dallas, missing the matchup due to "precautionary rest".
Both Leonard and Hayward missed extended time in 2017-18. Hayward's season ended on opening night last year after he broke his leg in the first quarter. Leonard played in just nine games last season as he battled an injured quad.
As for Butler, he didn't suffer a major injury last season, but may need some time to get back in shape. The Marquette product missed Timberwolves training camp as he held out due to a trade request, rejoining the team in bombastic fashion on Oct. 10.
