Why aren't Toronto (or formerly Vancouver) more attractive NBA destinations?

[BlackAchilles]

I've heard a few times about how the Raptors have trouble attracting free agents, and we all remember Steve Francis pulling a John Elway to get out of Vancouver when the Grizzlies drafted him.

My question is, why wouldn't you want to be a 25 year old millionaire in these cities? Nobody I know has bad things to say about them, and they got tons of fine women and dank ass, basically legal weed. And NBA nikkas would really rather sign to play somewhere like Boston/Detroit/Phoenix? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Bezerk]

how good are the teams?

 

[Brosef]

Just working past the old stereotype breh

After Vince left our team wasn't going nowhere

Keeping Lowry should have some downstream effects

 

[G.O.A.T Squad Spokesman]

Toronto has beautiful women, maybe they should've made Melyssa Ford the official ambassador instead of the broad ass nikka Drake.

 

[Ohene]

american ignorance
taxes (supposedly)

 

[Supercoolmayo]

People think it's cold over there

 

[XII]

What's the tax situation out there?

 

[SchoolboyC]

Taxes

I'd also just assume the American players would rather play in America.

 

[pete clemenza]

Those places were unknown back then.. but with the help of the internet and more people of color like myself traveling more outside the US we now know that Toronto is the NY of Canada and Vancouver is the next Hong Kong. I know in hindsight Stern wishes he would've kept the Grizz in Vancouver

 

[Obama Era Survivor]

Taxes and the fact that some players are wary of playing in another count.

Also the raptors haven't been in a position to attract a big name free agent. The Raptors have had multiple opportunities to build a team through the draft and other means but haven't it done it. Its hard for small market teams in the United States to attract free agents, so why would a team in Canada that has no history of be any different?


Detroit and Boston are home to top 10 NBA franchises of all time and have won titles this past decade, you can't compare them to a place that's never come close.