NBA poll reveals players don't hate playing for Toronto Raptors

For years, there has been a stigma around superstar players not wanting to play in Toronto. But a recent anonymous NBA player poll suggests otherwise, and that the perception of the city is changing.

On Monday, The Athletic released its annual anonymous player poll for the 2025-26 NBA season, polling 120 players on various league topics, including which team would top their no-trade list.

Most notably, the Toronto Raptors were one of 11 NBA franchises that thankfully did not make the list.

The Memphis Grizzlies topped the list with 35.8 per cent of the vote, followed by the Washington Wizards at 11.7 per cent and the Sacramento Kings at 10.8 per cent.

NBA players voted on their number one team they do NOT want to get traded to

• Memphis — 35.8% • Washington — 11.7% • Sacramento — 10.8% • New Orleans — 6.7% • Brooklyn — 5% • Utah — 5% • Charlotte — 4.2% • Portland — 4.2% • New York — 3.3% • Detroit — 2.5% • Indiana… pic.twitter.com/nz41kaYjnh — Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 18, 2026

The Grizzlies receiving over a third of the vote comes a few months after LeBron James joked on a YouTube show about how he doesn't want to be in Memphis on a "random-ass Thursday."

The comment went viral, and clearly more than a third of the NBA agreed.

The lack of votes for Toronto being a bad trade destination says a lot about how much players love coming to the city and how the Raptors are run.

While the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers were named by players in this poll, the Raptors were not.

Whether it is the city's diversity, music scene or Drake's role as the team's global ambassador, Toronto continues to receive high praise.

Two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant said during the 2024-25 season that he loves coming to Toronto.

"They appreciate my journey as a player, so I always have fun coming here. The crowd is always on its feet all game. So they love basketball, so I enjoy coming up here," Durant said previously in a post-game interview.

Lebron James has played 64 games against the Toronto Raptors in his career. (Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images)

James has also repeatedly praised Toronto despite publicly criticizing other NBA cities in the past.

"This city is unbelievable. Always welcome me with open arms, whether I was coming here to play a basketball game or just come here to visit. I've always loved and appreciated the fans' support here," said James after his most recent game at Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 5.

Raptors fans also finished far down the list in voting for the NBA's most obnoxious fan base, while still receiving 1.2 per cent of the vote for being among the league’s most passionate fans.

For a franchise that has long battled narratives around players not wanting to play in Canada, this new poll paints a very different picture of how today's NBA views Toronto.