Adam Silver Acknowledges Raptors 'Burden' Last Year, 'Hopeful' Team will play in Toronto

The Toronto Raptors had an additional burden to bear last year, Adam Silver says, but the league is hopeful the organization will return home next season

Aaron Rose | Jul 7, 2021

Hope is on the horizon for the Toronto Raptors.

After a miserable 2020-21 NBA season the required the franchise to relocate to Tampa for the year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said both he and Raptors governor Larry Tannenbaum are hopeful the team will return to Toronto for the 2021-22 season.

"I think there was that yet additional burden placed on the Raptors more than any other team by having to relocate for the season," Silver said during his NBA Finals media availability. "But we are hopeful the team will be back if things continue as we're seeing in Canada right now."

While the Canadian-US border still remains officially closed, the Canadian government has begun allowing fully vaccinated travelers to enter without having to adhere to the country's 14-day quarantine. Exemptions have also been made for other sports leagues including the NHL and the Montreal Canadians who have traveled back and forth between the countries for the playoffs.

Ultimately, the first big test for the government's reopening will come from the Toronto Blue Jays who are reportedly eyeing a return to Toronto later this summer.

As a senior #Bluejays executive told us last week, "the momentum (of a return to Toronto) is very positive." More background on getting back. https://t.co/EFKO9wJ5Nh
— Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) July 5, 2021

If the Blue Jays can return this summer, there shouldn't be any the Raptors can't be playing games at Scotiabank arena in the fall.

Canada is averaging 1.3 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people and has administered at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine to 69% of the Canadian population, according to the NY Times. Both of those numbers are significantly better than in the United States where just 55% of the population is vaccinated and there are 3.9 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people daily.

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The NBA plans to continue the play-in tournament into next season. Silver and the league will have to discuss this with the players, but based on its success this past year it'll likely continue.
The league is not currently considering expansion. While expansion will be looked at more seriously down the road, Silver said, it's not on the table right now.

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