Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers set for NBA preseason clash in Vancouver

/ Uncategorized / By

National Basketball Association action returns to Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on Saturday, Oct. 10.

The NBA announced on Wednesday (July 29) that the NBA Canada Games 2026 features a stop in British Columbia, as the Toronto Raptors take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

It marks the eighth NBA Canada Game for Vancouver and it’s the third straight time the Raptors have been in the local game. Last year saw the Raptors challenge the Denver Nuggets and the 2023 Vancouver game featured Toronto playing the Sacramento Kings. The Clippers played in the last Vancouver game that did not have the Raptors when they competed against the Dallas Mavericks inside Rogers Arena back in 2019.

Clippers star Darius Garland, who was acquired by the team from the Cleveland Cavaliers (along with a second round pick) in exchange for James Harden in February, stated that he’s looking forward to the Vancouver showdown.

“We’re excited to be part of the NBA Canada Games this year,” he said in a press release. “It’s a great opportunity to bring Clippers basketball to fans in Vancouver and experience the passion they have for the game. We can’t wait to get the season started.”

The Clippers finished last season in ninth place in the Western Conference with a record of 42-40. Los Angeles was then eliminated in the play-in round after losing 126-121 to the Golden State Warriors on April 15. Tyronn Lue serves as the team’s head coach and other top players on the Clippers include Brook Lopez and Bradley Beal. Guard Benedict Mathurin was a top scorer for the team last season, but he remains unsigned. They also signed forward Rui Hachimura in free agency and chose guard Keaton Wagler fifth overall at the 2026 NBA Draft.

The Raptors are coming off a 2025-26 that saw them post a record of 46-36 to finish fifth in the Eastern Conference. Toronto was bounced from the playoffs in round one after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.

Raptors star forward Scottie Barnes stated that the Canada games are ones he looks forward to.

“Every time we wear the Raptors jersey, we’re representing the entire country, so it’s always special to have the opportunity to play games in communities across Canada,” he said. “It’s important to us that fans from coast to coast have the chance to experience Raptors basketball, and we can’t wait to share those moments together this preseason in Vancouver.”

Other top players on the Raptors include RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Darko Rajaković is the team’s head coach and Toronto added forward Allen Graves with the 19th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

There is a tinge of awkwardness ahead of the meeting between the Clippers and the Raptors, as the teams made a trade that is currently on pause by the NBA as they continue to investigate the Kawhi Leonard-Clippers-Aspiration situation.

The Raptors and Clippers agreed to a trade that saw Toronto send guard Brandon Ingram, forward Gradey Dick and several draft picks to Los Angeles for Kawhi Leonard. The trade would have brought Leonard back to the team he led to the NBA title in 2019. However, the NBA has delayed the official move until the aforementioned investigation is completed.

The investigation stems from allegations that the Clippers circumvented the salary cap by funnelling money to Leonard through his $28 million endorsement deal with now-bankrupt green banking company Aspiration. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who invested $60 million in Aspiration, has denied he had knowledge of the deal.

As a result, the statuses of Ingram, Dickey and Leonard for Oct. 10 are unclear. It’s possible they could be deemed ineligible or the trade could be voided. They could also be property of their proposed new teams by that time. Of course, there is also the possibility that the trio are not dressed for the Vancouver game.

The Vancouver game is one of two preseason games set for Canada planned, with the other featuring the Raptors taking on the Miami Heat on Saturday, Oct. 3. Tickets will go on sale in both markets on Thursday, Aug. 20. Fans can register their interest in tickets and gain access to exclusive pre-sales by visiting NBACanadaGames.com.

<!– Xm BNtdcrXv g je R JfD Pl J –>