COVID-19 has had a very big effect on the sports world. For months, many sports came to a standstill. And many of them have gotten back to playing with varying results and difficulties.

A major issue in North American sports has been the border between the United States and Canada. Several leagues include teams from both countries. And normally travel for those teams between the countries goes relatively smoothly. But because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, things have gotten considerably more complicated.

Toronto Raptors could be temporarily based in New Jersey

The NBA's Toronto Raptors could soon be finding themselves in a bit of a pickle. At some point, the league plans to start a new season, though it's not exactly certain when. It finished its last season in a so-called bubble in Orlando, Florida. But there's probably going to be some travel involved in the upcoming season.

But travel between the U.S. and Canada is largely non-existent right now. So Canada's favorite basketball team might have to set up shop in the United States. At least for a little while, although they're 'hopeful' about playing in Canada. CBS reports that the team has spoken to officials with the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The Prudential Center currently hosts New Jersey's NHL team and Seton Hall University's men's basketball team, among others.

There are several reasons why the Raptors could be partial to New Jersey. Such as geography. Newark is relatively close to all of the Raptors' divisional rivals. In fact, it's closer than Toronto.

But it's not the only potential U.S.

host for the team. According to Yahoo, they could share a venue with another NBA team. But there also other cities currently without an NBA team in play. Including Buffalo, New York; Louisville, Kentucky; Kansas City, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee and the Tampa, Florida area.

The Raptors would not be the first major sports team to move to American temporarily.

Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays had to take up residence at their AAA venue in Buffalo. Major League Soccer's Toronto FC has done something similar to East Hartford, Connecticut. On the flip side, several American NHL teams had to move to bubbles in Canada. There had supposed to have been two bubbles in the U.S. and two in Canada. But a surge in confirmed American COVID-19 cases moved everything north of the border.

New Jersey has a significant NBA history

As NBA fans will most likely know, New Jersey is a familiar locale for the league. It technically began with the American Basketball Association team, the New Jersey Americans. The team quickly moved to New York and changed its nickname to the Nets.

There, it won two ABA Championships and eventually joined the NBA.

The Nets later moved back to New Jersey. They would win to Eastern Conference Championships while based there. But the Nets have since returned to New York, settling in Brooklyn.
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