NBA free agents swipe left when it comes to Toronto

The Toronto Raptors organization has been striking out in free agency worse than a newly divorced 45 year-old on Tinder. NBA free agents continue to swipe left when it comes signing in Toronto.

It’s not you its me.

The Toronto Raptors organization has been hearing that phrase over and over again during the NBA free agency period of the past few summers.

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Despite the fact that the Raptors are now a perennial playoff team and ranked third in attendance during the 2016-17 season, they once again failed in their attempts to attract any big name free agents to come and play in Toronto.

This summers free agent haul for the Raptors includes the likes of KJ McDaniels, Kyle Wiltjer and Lorenzo Brown. Those names don’t exactly instil fear in the hearts and minds of their Eastern Conference opponents.

Celtics GM Danny Ainge and Cleveland’s new GM Koby Altman haven’t lost a moment of sleep since the Raps inked that motley crew of free agents.

Last summers big name free agent haul for the Raptors included Jared Sullinger who ended up playing in just 11 games in Toronto while averaging a whopping 3.4 points per game.

If the Raptors were on Tinder, NBA free agents would be swiping left saying, “No thanks.”

(If you’ve never used Tinder, swiping right means you like the person. Swiping left means you don’t)

Some may argue that they technically signed free agents Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry this summer; even though both were already Raptors last season.

In the world of Tinder, Lowry and Ibaka basically went on a few random Tinder dates and couldn’t find somebody who was hotter or had more money so they went scrambling back to the previous partner.

What is wrong with me? Why can’t I find somebody?

Those two phrases must be echoing off the walls of the Air Canada Centre of late.

How many times have we as Toronto natives bumped into some American tourists throughout the city and heard them rave about what an amazing place we live in.

They’ll say, “It’s so clean and beautiful and everybody is so nice.”

In contrast, how many times have we as Canadians ever said anything like that about Cleveland, Milwaukee, Indianapolis or Boston?

So why can’t we attract 20 something year-old elite professional basketball players to our city?

The taxes in Canada are higher than most U.S states and it can get pretty darn cold here at times.

However, the city of Toronto has some of the best nightlife in North America and has world class restaurants in every neighbourhood in the city.

The Raptors ownership (MLSE) also has some of the deepest pockets of any franchise in professional sports yet the best the Raptors can do over the past few years is to attract some borderline NBA players and G League all-stars.

According to the Law of Attraction:

"All thoughts turn into things eventually. If you focus on negative doom and gloom you will remain under that cloud. If you focus on positive thoughts, and have goals that you aim to achieve you will find a way to achieve them with massive action."

Whatever the Raptors organization has been doing during the pitch to NBA players and their agents and families; it isn’t working.

Next: Pascal Siakam ready for breakout season with the Raptors.

Its time they made some changes in hopes of attracting a few more swipe rights in their pursuit of big name players.

Perhaps a new gym membership, some yoga classes and a change in their diet could convince a few more swipe rights in the future.