NBA Canada Series: Raptors, Wizards set to face-off in 10th edition

The NBA’s Canada Series will move forward for a 10th year as the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards square off in a pre-season showdown.

The NBA may have a long history in Canada, but that hasn’t stopped the league from continuing to showcase its product in different areas of the country to our friends from up North. In the 10th edition of the NBA’s Canada Series, the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards will face off in a pre-season game on October 6 in Montreal, QC.

As the league continues to move forward with its intention to lead the way as ambassadors for the sport of basketball, it’s not surprising to see the evolution of the Canada Series as they will send two young teams with exciting futures.

Led by a star-studded young roster, the Raptors should naturally be a strong draw in Montreal. The Raptors are, for the most part, “Canada’s team” and having several Canadians on the roster (RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, Chris Boucher) should certainly help with the fanfare for this pre-season clash.

There could also be plenty of intrigue in the Wizards. They may not have players on their roster with much of a connection to Canada, but they do have quite a young core. And that begins with Alex Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of hype surrounding this past year’s NBA Draft class, there’s naturally going to be plenty of interest in how some of the top draft picks look early on in their careers. Sarr’s certainly one of those players, even more so considering how much he struggled during his time in the NBA Summer League.

But even aside from Sarr, the Wizards have some other intriguing young players on their roster such as Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George. Even though this matchup on paper may not seem like much of a battle, considering how much further the Raptors are in their respective rebuild, there are plenty of interesting storylines worth taking in when they take the floor in their pre-season matchup.

In addition to this Canada Series, the NBA will also play games in Abu Dhabi, Mexico City, and in Paris this season. As the league continues to invest in the importance of expanding the game, I’d have to imagine this will continue to be a trend moving forward – as has become the case with the NBA’s Canada Series.