Cold weather. Passports. High-income tax. And the idea of a life outside of the United States. While there have always been deterrents to plying one’s trade north of the border, the allure of Toronto as a basketball city is an all-time high, and much of that new shine can be attributed to the Toronto Raptors’ recent championship run.
While Kawhi Leonard did leave a title-winning team to return home to sunny California, Toronto has never been a more attractive free-agent destination; they used the homesick Leonard’s services to maximum effect, and now have a Larry O’Brien trophy to display on the franchise mantle – a very useful tool for alluring future free agents.