Josh Richardson misses Sixers practice with toe injury; not expected to be sidelined

A Sixers official said Richardson was held out of practice as a precautionary measure.

Sixers Josh Richardson (right) and James Ennis celebrate during the win against the Celtics on Oct. 23.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

Published Oct. 31, 2019, 7:35 p.m. ET

Josh Richardson, the 76ers’ starting shooting guard and the backup to Ben Simmons at point guard, sat out practice Thursday with mild soreness in his left big toe.

A Sixers official said the injury is not expected to impact Richardson’s availability for the upcoming four-game road trip.

The Sixers will play Saturday at Portland and also will visit Phoenix, Utah, and Denver on what should be a challenging trip.

Against the Trail Blazers and Suns, the Sixers will be without center Joel Embiid, who was suspended for two games following Wednesday’s altercation with Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns in a 117-95 win over the visiting Timberwolves. Towns also received a two-game suspension.

The 6-foot-5 Richardson, acquired by the Sixers from the Miami Heat in the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade deal, has been an invaluable member on both ends of the court.

He is among the Sixers’ top defenders and defends primarily against point guards. He is averaging 13.3 points and 1.8 steals in 33.0 minutes.

Reserve point guard Trey Burke also missed practice due to gastroenteritis. Burke began experiencing symptoms around halftime Wednesday. The Sixers sent Burke home in the second half. A team official said Burke is expected to be with the team when it departs for Portland on Friday.

Burke has yet to appear in a game this season.