Toronto Raptors: Adam Silver hints that playing in Canada is not a done deal

The Toronto Raptors were the only team in the NBA that had to play their home games in a completely different country, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced Toronto to pitch up in Tampa for the entire season.

Despite the best efforts of the locals, Toronto never seemed to really get into a groove in Florida. Playing essentially zero true home games last year coupled with some bad injury luck that would’ve made things challenging in a normal season ultimately did the Raptors in, relegating them to the lottery.

With the vaccination rates in both the United States and Canada starting to rise, there is hope that the Raptors could return to Scotiabank Arena and resume a somewhat normal season from a logistical point of view. NBA commissioner Adam Silver, however, isn’t saying that’s a done deal just yet.

Silver says that the possibility of a return to Toronto is still “unclear” at this juncture. While he did mention that Raptors governor and NBA chairman of the board Larry Tanenbaum is hopeful that Ontario will open up and the team can return, he stopped short of claiming they will absolutely be back.

Will the Toronto Raptors be back in Canada next year?

The pessimistic and optimistic Raptors fan will look at this quote and the surrounding circumstances in two different ways. For example, those who take a negative viewpoint can take Silver’s lack of certainty as a sign that there is a chance Toronto may have to set up shop in the States once again.

The more positive fan, however, could take a look at what is going on across Canadian sports. The Montreal Canadiens have played in front of fans during the Stanley Cup Finals while traveling across the US-Canadian border, Toronto FC is preparing to officially come back home, and the Blue Jays are waiting on the federal government to approve their return home.

The Raptors lost more “home” games in Tampa last season than they did in the prior two seasons combined, which saw them win an NBA championship and earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Even with some flaws on the roster, their friendly confines in Toronto should help them be more competitive as far as the standings are concerned.

Obviously, nothing is going to be finalized until a bit further down the road, and Silver’s lack of a definitive answer is accounting for the possibility Toronto remains closed. However, with Canadian teams slowly making their way back to their native country, there is a path the Raptors could follow that will help them finally return to their old stomping grounds.