Toronto is an option to host NBA games this summer: report

May 14 2020, 11:32 pm

If the NBA returns this summer, it’ll likely be in Las Vegas or Orlando, according to multiple reports.

But there is a chance it might take place in Toronto.

In what most would probably consider a highly unlikely scenario, Yahoo Sports NBA insider Chris Haynes reports that Toronto is being considered as an option to host games.

While Florida and Nevada were the main states being discussed, Haynes said in an interview with Tim and Sid on Sportsnet that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned Toronto as a possibility during a recent conference call with players.

“[Silver] mentioned Toronto in that conference call too,” said Haynes. “He said Toronto is an option. He said he would like to keep the season in the States, but he said he’s not ruling out Toronto.”

“Toronto was a place he said that can hold it.”

Cue the “so you’re telling me there’s a chance” meme, Raptors fans.

On the surface, Orlando and Las Vegas would seem to make infinitely more sense for the NBA concluding its season in a centralized location without fans. For starters, it wouldn’t require the vast majority of the league having to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon entry into Canada.

The league can also keep players separate from most of society in one of Las Vegas’ large hotels or at Disney World in Orlando. Both Las Vegas and Orlando are also equipped with multiple NBA broadcast-ready courts.

The one unique advantage Toronto does have though, is the Canadian dollar, which is currently worth 71 cents in US dollars. Given the cash crunch, that could be enticing.

Either way, the mere fact that Toronto is being discussed as an option is interesting to note.

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