The Toronto Raptors will play their first game since the season's suspension on Aug. 1, taking on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The defending champions were scheduled to charter Monday to Florida where they will train in the Fort Myers area.

"Oh man, that (bus ride) was probably one of the best rides of my life ... just realizing we had the rest of the summer to enjoy this," Fred VanVleet said.

"Unfortunately this man had to lose his life, but I think it was a boiling point and people are just fed up, and I think it's time for a change and everybody's seeing that," VanVleet said.

Progress is being made to bring more sporting events back as the COVID-19 crisis eases, but Rick Zamperin says time is of the essence for hockey and basketball.

The team says that after working closely with the local government, infectious disease experts and public health authorities, players will be allowed to access the OVO Athletic Centre starting next week.

Mayor John Tory said the city is working with the Ontario provincial government on decision-making regarding the Raptors, and that "things are moving forward quite nicely."

Scotiabank Arena, home to the Maple Leafs and Raptors, has been turned into a giant kitchen during the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare 10,000 meals a day to go to Toronto's front-line health-care workers and their families as well as the city's most vulnerable via community agencies and shelters.

"People's health and well being and frame of mind is a lot more important than a couple million here or there, because we're all filthy rich compared to what we came from in the first place, so I don't think anybody's crying over it," VanVleet said.

"All of the members of the travel party who were tested on Wednesday in Toronto have received their results, and they are all currently negative."