Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has turned down his $22.8MM player option for next season and will become an unrestricted free agent, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Sources tell Wojnarowski that VanVleet would be willing to consider a new deal to stay in Toronto. However, he’ll be one of the top names on the free agent market and is expected to be targeted by plenty of teams with cap space and others that might be interested working out a sign-and-trade.
Wojnarowski notes that several contending teams talked to the Raptors about trading for VanVleet before the February deadline, adding that many of those teams will continue to pursue the 29-year-old guard once free agency beings on June 30.
Teams with ample cap space such as the Rockets and Magic are expected to have interest in VanVleet, which could price some other competitors out of the market, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
An All-Star during the 2021/22 season, VanVleet has played his entire career in Toronto after joining the team when he went undrafted in 2016. He emerged as a full-time starter in his fourth NBA season and was part of the 2019 squad that captured the only NBA title in Raptors history.
Along with scoring 19.3 PPG this season, VanVleet averaged a career-best 7.2 assists per game and ranked in the top 10 in the league in assists-to-turnover ratio. He was also third in the NBA in steals with 1.8 per game and first in deflections.
Most players have until June 29 to make option decisions for next season, but VanVleet’s deadline was Wednesday, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Teammate Gary Trent Jr. also has until Wednesday to decide on his $18.6MM option for 2023/24.
VanVleet is still eligible for an extension, Marks adds, but the Raptors can only offer $114MM over four years under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (Twitter link). Changes to the new CBA, which takes effect July 1, would have increased that maximum extension to $133MM with a starting salary of $29.8MM, but VanVleet will be a free agent by that point, making him eligible for a projected maximum salary of $40.2MM.
He didn’t hire Rich Paul as his agent to exercise his player option and not hit free agency.
It’ll be a sign and trade
Sign and trades are just fluff.
Most overrated player on the FA market. Good luck to whoever overpays him
I’ve never been able to properly rate him but boy he sure picked a good year to be a free agent I will say
Agree I wouldn’t wanna be paying the bag here
I agree. He’s a good playmaker and he’ll get his threes, but he’s crazy inefficient. His eFG% was lower than Marcus Smart’s this year. And he outright sucks at scoring at the basket, literally sixth-worst in the league in shooting percentage at the rim this season among point guards, out of 48 who got significant minutes. He has his value, but I wouldn’t want to bet the farm on him.
His output last season looks a lot better on paper.
There was a divide in the room between players and nurse and also the players amongst themselves. He was playing for stats all year. And maybe worse he wasn’t interested in helping Barnes develop his point skills like the team wanted. Barnes needs to do much better in the gym and on his focus…and being a pro. But, the writing was on the wall last off-season regarding fvv.
Im expecting a sign and trade, maybe Phoenix or 76ers if they can match the salaries.
Phoenix has little assets. Unless they want CP3 or Ayton, which I doubt the Suns would give up Ayton.
Agree on FVV being a bit on the over-rated side …… I always say, he excels since he fits/belongs to the right system in Toronto – most other teams and FVV would have been heavily hunted on defense.
Woe to the team that will inevitably overpay for him.
Note: FVV is the kind of guy that the woeful KNICKS will overpay for, but luckily for them, they got Brunson a year earlier.
I wouldn’t mind him on the Nets but I wouldn’t off him anything more than a 4 year 50 mil deal. Hes above average, nothing special. Toronto couldn’t win with him, meanwhile they had competent players like OG, Siakam, Gary Trent Jr, Poetle, etc. If he can’t make the playoffs with that starting 5 then I don’t think hes worth a big contract
While I agree with your sentiment, he is definitely worth way more than 4/50.
Toronto couldn’t win with him??? They won a title with him as a major component. Fred brings a lot of intangibles to the table. He could put a contender over the top. He just isn’t a Top 3 player on a legit contender. He already has his ring. Last big contract. He will get paid by somebody. Sign and Trade could also factor.
He won the title as a 6man
He averaged 8 points and 2.6 assists a game in the playoffs while shooting 39 percent.
Whatever.
The problem is when they won he was making 9m per season, now he is asking for top 3 type money. You’re right though some dumb team is definitely going to overpay.
All those quality players you mentioned like Siakam, OG, Poeltl, Trent, and Scottie Barnes are obviously not that good if they didn’t make the playoffs. Maybe it was poor coaching. One player can win all on their own or win on their own. Blaming VV is not the answer.
Good time to be on the market, but bad time to shoot sub 39/32 and lead a lifeless time all season to a lackluster season. Regardless, he’s going to get a number we’ll all scratch our heads at.
If I were a GM I would pull out Jalen Brunson’s contract and ask him “are you better than this guy”. If he says no then I will ask “then why should I give you more than him?”. If he says yes then I would think he’s crazy and move on.
True, but Jalen Brunson is also underpaid..
Magic make the most sense. They like to overpay point guards. They also like to have 4 or 5 on the roster.
FVV, Suggs, Fultz, Anthony, then watch then draft a PG.
WCJ, PB, Franz, #6/#11, FVV, Anthony, and Suggs off the bench. Is Isaac on this roster moving forward? Harris should be gone as well.
They might as well do two S&Ts for Trent and FVV.
Trade #11 to the Nets for #21 and #22.
Trade #21 + Salaries for FVV. Trade #22 + Salaries for Gary Trent.
Isaac, Fultz, Harris on the move.
FVV, Trent, Franz, PB, WCJ
Suggs and Anthony off the bench. Take Ausar, Whitmore, Dick, or Black. Someone that will ultimately backup Franz.
FVV is a good player, but he wasn’t the PG or even a regular starter on their championship team. Combo G off the bench. A secondary facilitator and back end offensive option. His resume as a starting PG is the last two seasons, with alot of time spent off the ball playing off of Siakam or Barnes. Nothing suggests he’s a high end facilitator.
Never pay B or C level players max money. It’s the fastest way to paralyze your organization.
Now imagine Jaylen Brown on a 295M/5-years …… he should set aside some of that for a dribbling coach.
Bradley Beal on 251M/5-years (no trade clause) is much worse though.
Nobody can dribble in todays NBA. Fred hoiberg is screaming.