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Toronto Raptors & Free Agency: It’s a conspiracy!

By Brian Boake

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While I much prefer to write about basketball rather than money and contracts, those topics can’t be avoided on occasion. Here’s one of them. An article in CNN notes the surprising (to the article’s writer, anyway) number of U.S. expatriates who are choosing to surrender their citizenship rather than pay income taxes to both their adopted nation and Uncle Sam. This is certainly an issue here in Canada, where we’re pleased to welcome many Americans as resident aliens and often dual citizens.

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You may fairly ask “What’s this got to do with the Toronto Raptors?” For too many years, we’ve heard about how American players won’t sign as free agents at least in part because they have to pay tax to two domains. It’s true enough, but what makes my blood boil is the notion that this is somehow Canada’s fault. During the months in which our team is playing basketball, our players are Canadian residents, earning fantastic incomes in this country, and Canada is the only location where they should be forced to pay tax. Yet somehow our country gets blamed for double taxation, when it’s the American government which insists on reaching into its citizens’ wallets regardless of home address. I’m sure NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is giving serious consideration to increasing the salary cap for our team, in order to make up the shortfall due to double taxation – or not.

May 4, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) and Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) position for a rebound in the fourth quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Masai Ujiri has gone on record as saying a Canadian will play for the Raptors one of these days. What is he waiting for? Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers is a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) this summer, and is exactly what we need. He’s a proud Canadian from southern Ontario, and has played for our national team. He’s also a useful Power Forward, who could step right into Amir Johnson’s spot in the lineup. Tristan’s numbers dipped this season after averaging nearly a double-double the previous two years. Obviously the arrival of Kevin Love had a significant impact on Tristan. He lost nearly 5 minutes of playing time, which didn’t do his stats any favours.

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Regardless of Tristan’s off-season decision (my guess is that he’ll prove himself to be exactly what the playoff-engulfed Cavaliers need in Love’s enforced absence due to injury, and Cleveland will match any offer sheet), at least you know that it’s not Canada’s fault that U.S. players are disadvantaged playing in Toronto. Canadian free agents have one more reason to come home. The U.S. government can’t touch them. Will Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins wear our colours someday?

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