Tobias Harris to Miss Sixers Preseason Opener vs. Raptors

The Philadelphia 76ers are one step closer to starting a new year. After firing up training camp last Tuesday, the Sixers are now gearing up for their 2021 preseason debut on Monday night with a matchup against the Toronto Raptors.

Unfortunately, the Sixers are going to be missing a few key players. As expected, Ben Simmons will not be in the mix. As he's planned to hold out from the Sixers as early as August, the 25-year-old guard stayed true to his word and has yet to show face in Philly since the Sixers have begun ramping up offseason activities.

Along with Simmons, Joel Embiid and Charles Bassey were both ruled out on Sunday night. Embiid, who has been recovering from a knee injury all offseason long, is healed up and practicing without limitations. However, the Sixers remain cautious with their MVP caliber center and plan to rest him on Monday night.

As for the rookie Bassey, he's currently finalizing his work visa, which prevented him from traveling with the Sixers to Toronto on Monday. Although it seemed those three were going to be the only players absent for the Sixers on Monday, the team added Tobias Harris into the mix when the injury report came out on Monday afternoon.

Like Simmons, Embiid, and Bassey, Tobias Harris will not participate with the Sixers against the Raptors on Monday night. However, unlike those three, Harris is dealing with what seems to be a minor setback.

According to the Sixers' injury report, Harris is battling through knee soreness. Since he was added to the injury report later, Harris' setback doesn't seem too concerning. 76ers head coach Doc Rivers made it clear that most key starters for the Sixers likely won't play in every preseason game. Therefore, Harris was expected to miss some time early on regardless.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.