Raptors to make visit to Europe in preseason: report

The Toronto Raptors appear to be taking their talents to Europe.

According to a report in Spanish publication Diario Sur, Canada’s lone NBA franchise will visit Spain next month for the preseason.

As per the report, the Raptors are bound for Malaga, where the team will visit The Embassy Training Centre. The location has strong ties with both the NBA and the National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA), with 35 players having visited the spot in recent years, as per Eurohoops.

It’s not exactly clear when or what the team’s visit will involve, given that training camp and the official preseason don’t typically tip off until early October. Few answers are also available about whether the full roster will be in attendance and what staff members will be joining along.

In any case, the trip should be a good opportunity for those taking part to see a bit more of the world and spread the team’s brand on the other side of the globe.

As the current lone NBA franchise located outside of the United States, Toronto has long positioned itself in an attempt to cultivate an international fanbase.

In 2007, the franchise drafted the Italian-born Andrea Bargnani first overall, making him the first European player to do so. In 2019, Spaniard Marc Gasol was a key part of the team’s first-ever NBA title, as was Cameroonian Pascal Siakam and Congolese Serge Ibaka.

The franchise has played three regular-season games in London, England, two preseason games in Japan and one in Italy throughout its history.

Most recently, they made history in 2023 when they hired Darko Rajakovic as the second-ever European head coach in the NBA.

While details about this trip are few and far between, more information will likely be announced in the coming weeks.

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