Mayor Tory gives Raptors hope as some NBA facilities reopen
Toronto Raptors basketball sounds like it's head in the right direction toward getting games back this year.
As the NBA reportedly begins to reopen facilities on Friday where stay-at-home orders have been eased, Toronto Mayor John Tory told reporters that "things are moving forward quite nicely" in regards to the Raptors reopening team facilities.
"I expect there will be some news to report on that, in a way again, that is going to be consistent in making sure our team and our players (will not) be put at a competitive disadvantage,” Tory told the Canadian Press. “But at the same time respecting completely the imperatives we have with regard to public health and stopping the spread of COVID-19.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trailblazers, and Denver Nuggets will all reportedly open their facilities to players starting Friday, according to USA Today.
Facilities will be restricted to just voluntary workouts and only six designated assistant coaches or team personnel will be able to supervise player workouts, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. NBA head coaches will be prohibited from supervising these workouts.
While some teams will begin to reopen their facilities, other teams are taking a more cautious approach and will refrain from allowing players to work out together. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told the 77 Minutes in Heaven podcast that he is concerned about asymptomatic carriers and doesn't "think the risk is worth the reward."
The Toronto Raptors were 46-18 with 18 games left to be played when the NBA season stopped on March 11.
