The Toronto Raptors aren’t typically huge players in the NBA buyout market but now that the team’s stuck in Tampa, it could be different. The Raptors have been a great team for the past seven years, but they struggle to recruit free agents and players who get bought out.
The stigma of playing in a different country with dissimilar currency, the metric system, insanely high taxes, and cold winter weather. is something NBA players can’t get behind. Toronto has had to deal with these obstacles for their entire existence.
It’s crazy that Toronto isn’t as appealing to free agents, compared to a place like Boston, Chicago or New York. Toronto has the same weather as those three cities, and they’re just as cosmopolitan. Not to mention, that this team has Global Ambassador Drake on standby, who can show any NBA player the amazing nightlife that the 6ix has to offer.
Speaking of Drake, he wrote a song called “6 Man” about former Raptors guard Lou Williams and that still wasn’t enough to keep him here. Here’s his comment, courtesy of BlogTO.com.
"“It’s like little [things] you don’t think of, like the Channels on your TV, phone bill, you got to get a Canadian bank account. [Stuff] like that that people don’t think about. That [stuff] is s hard. And then you have kids, you’re raising your kids out in Canada…”“One you’re there, you’re like ‘oh, this is dope.’ But the hard part is keeping guys there.”"
Although he mentions that it’s “dope” playing in Toronto, it’s a backhanded compliment. Tampa, however, might be a bit more welcoming to would-be free agents.
Tampa could help buyout targets sign with the Toronto Raptors
Now that the Raptors are in Tampa for the rest of the season, any incoming player wouldn’t have to worry about getting a Canadian bank account or raising their kids in Canada, like Williams mentioned. Instead, they would get to play on a contending team in a warm climate and not have to worry about crossing the border.
Toronto’s weather at the end of March will most likely still be around zero degrees Celsius, while Tampa’s will be hovering around 25 degrees and sunny. Which place would you prefer to stay at?Players like Andre Drummond, who is scheduled for a buyout, may be more inclined to choose the Tampa Bay Raptors over the Toronto Raptors this season.
In years past, the team wouldn’t have a chance in hell to recruit a big-name player, but this season could be completely different. Besides the Heat, who are now cross-state rivals, the Raptors are the most successful Eastern Conference franchise of the past decade.
If you’re a buyout player looking to join a successful franchise, play for an amazing coach and be with a bunch of guys who know how to win already, the Raptors have to big at the top of that list. The Lakers and Nets, who are among the favorites for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, could also serve as potential landing spots, but these buyout players would get extremely reduced roles.
If they joined the Raptors, they’d still be on a great team, but would be utilized much more often and potentially in significant moments of the game.
The Raptors have a rare opportunity this season when it comes to recruiting. They need to flex their muscles and land a big-name buyout player while they can, because once they head back north to Toronto, this chance may never present itself again.