The Toronto Raptors could reportedly play their home games in Louisville, Kentucky next season, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
Travel into Canada has been banned due to the United States’ handling of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Raptors face a similar dilemma, and league sources tell Yahoo Sports one alternate location that has been broached is Louisville, Kentucky. Former NBA player and successful businessman Junior Bridgeman has been in contact with the NBA, considering Louisville has the KFC Yum! Center that is NBA-ready.
No decision has been made yet, as it’s on a laundry list of topics to be discussed on the upcoming call, along with the collective bargaining agreement, competitive formats for next season and an update on the social justice coalition.
Louisville wouldn’t be first in line in the event of relocation or expansion; Seattle is. But it seems to be an easier sell to get the Raptors in Louisville for a short period — or even sharing a current NBA market, according to sources.
The Toronto Blue Jays played their home games in Buffalo, New York due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020 MLB shortened season.
While it's unclear when the 2020-21 NBA season is going to start, it appears the league is starting to do its due diligence on how to handle the Raptors' situation since they are the only team in the NBA not located in the United States.
The Walt Disney World bubble at Orlando, Florida worked perfectly. The NBA was able to crown a 2020 champion and there were zero positive COVID-19 tests.
However, it's doubtful the 2020-21 campaign will take place in a bubble since 30 teams in one bubble seems impossible to pull off.
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