Fred VanVleet Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors, Others To Meet VanVleet Saturday

November 20th, 2020 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent guard Fred VanVleet will meet with the Raptors and one or two other teams in Chicago on Saturday, Michael Grange of Rogers SportsNet tweets.

VanVleet is one of the biggest names on the market and arguably the top combo guard available. Toronto is hopeful of retaining him and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said earlier on Friday he was likely to re-sign.

However, Grange’s report suggests they’ll have some competition for his services.

Grange offered these other tidbits on the Raptors:

They have not reached out to Cavaliers free agent center Tristan Thompson. Toronto had been expected to express interest in Thompson. That could be a sign the Raptors are confident of re-signing another one of their top free agents, Serge Ibaka.
There’s also a sense they’ll likely reach an extension agreement with OG Anunoby.

Fred VanVleet Likely To Re-Sign With Raptors?

November 20th, 2020 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent point guard Fred VanVleet appears “very likely” to re-sign with the Raptors, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said in an appearance on The Jump this afternoon (video link via Knicks Film School).

Wojnarowski suggests that the lack of teams with cap room around the NBA may limit VanVleet’s ability to attract big offers that could put extra pressure on the Raptors. An earlier report indicated Toronto may be hoping to get VanVleet back on a deal similar to the one Malcolm Brogdon signed with Indiana last year — $85MM over four years.

The Raptors’ ability to go much higher for VanVleet is complicated by the fact that the team wants to maintain enough 2021 cap room to contend for a maximum-salary player (ideally Giannis Antetokounmpo, if he’s available). The bigger VanVleet’s deal is, the less space the team will have a year from now, but something in the range of $20-22MM per year should fit into the team’s budget.

While the Raptors are the frontrunners for VanVleet, that doesn’t necessarily mean the two sides will come to terms immediately when free agency opens in an hour. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) has heard that the Raptors and other suitors for VanVleet will likely meet with the 26-year-old in the Chicago area on Saturday. The Knicks and Pistons have been cited as a couple of the other possible contenders for the Raptors guard.

VanVleet ranks third on our list of 2020’s top 50 free agents.

Free Agent Rumors: Bogdanovic, VanVleet, Augustin, Thompson

November 20th, 2020 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that Bogdan Bogdanovic has re-emerged as a free agent option for teams outside of Milwaukee, the RFA swingman and his representatives are expected to take meetings when free agency opens, according to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic, who say that the Hawks and Lakers are known to have interest.

Amick and Nehm suggest it’s “widely known” that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had been recruiting Bogdanovic to Milwaukee. Since it seems that union won’t happen, teams hoping to eventually lure Giannis away from the Bucks will probably become a little more interested in Bogdanovic, according to The Athletic’s duo, who mention the Mavericks and Heat as a couple of those clubs.

Here’s more on free agency:

Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News tweets that he has consistently heard the Raptors‘ goal is to re-sign Fred VanVleet on a Malcolm Brogdon-type contract. Brogdon’s four-year, $85MM deal was cited way back in August as a probable market-setter for VanVleet’s new contract.
The Suns have reached out to D.J. Augustin, who is also drawing real interest from the Bucks, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Gambadoro adds that the veteran point guard is likely to accept the best offer he receives.
Even after winning a championship, the Lakers aren’t content to be passive in free agency, says general manager Rob Pelinka. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays, Pelinka vows his club will be “aggressive” as it looks to continue making upgrades. “We’re not going to just sit back and not expect others who are in position to try to better their roster or better their teams,” Pelinka said. “So we have to stay aggressive. I think the danger of winning is complacency, and I won’t — we won’t allow that to creep in here. We’re going to try to improve our team and put Coach (Frank) Vogel and his staff in the best possible position to defend.”
The Lakers would love to land Tristan Thompson in free agency, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix says the Raptors are also expected to express interest in Thompson, though Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) hears Toronto hasn’t reached out to the Canadian center yet.

Atlantic Notes: Ibaka, Raptors, VanVleet, Celtics

November 17th, 2020 at 5:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets superstar James Harden is not the only former Thunder teammate of Kevin Durant that the Nets have interest in adding, according to Mike Mazzeo of Forbes. Durant has also apparently tried to recruit power forward/center Serge Ibaka.

Though Ibaka earned $23.3MM in his final year with the Raptors, he may be interested in joining a contender for the $9.2M non-taxpayer mid-level exception, per Ian Begley of SNY. Begley notes that Ibaka may be anticipating offers in the territory of $12-15MM from teams with available cap space. Both figures may be out of the Nets’ range, as Brooklyn is expected to be limited to the $5.7MM taxpayer MLE in free agency.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Speaking of the Raptors, there is still no resolution as to where Toronto will play during the 2020/21 season, but Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets that the club will be holding a Los Angeles-based team mini-camp from November 20-25.
Raptors general manager Bobby Webster has stressed the team’s continued interest in re-signing unrestricted free agent guard Fred VanVleet, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. “He’s our top priority,” Webster said. “Our biggest priority for the offseason is bringing him back.” Toronto is also expected to have interest in bringing back Ibaka.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer mentioned on today’s installment of The Ringer NBA Show podcast that there was “chatter” about the Celtics offering the expiring contract of oft-injured forward Gordon Hayward and the team’s three first-round picks in the 2020 draft to the Pelicans in exchange for guard Jrue Holiday (hat tip to RealGM). Holiday was ultimately traded to the Bucks.

Atlantic Notes: Hayward, Knicks, Raptors, Draft

November 17th, 2020 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics will get some clarity on their offseason by 5:00 pm eastern time on Tuesday, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald, who says that’s the deadline for Gordon Hayward to either exercise or pass on his $34.1MM player option for 2020/21.

A pair of league sources tell Murphy that Hayward still hadn’t finalized a decision as of Monday night. One source predicted Hayward would opt in, but the other suggested there would be plenty of interest for the Celtics forward if he becomes a free agent. “All I know is that there’s a lot of people who want him,” that source said.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Knicks reopened their Tarrytown practice facility on Monday, nearly a week after shutting it down due to three members of the organization testing positive for COVID-19, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Sources tell Berman that no players were among those who tested positive.
The Raptors‘ chances of re-signing Fred VanVleet increased as a result of the Suns’ acquisition of Chris Paul, according to Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. Phoenix was considered one of the few teams that could make a run at VanVleet in free agency — Toronto still may have to contend with New York and Detroit, among others, however.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, and Bobby Marks (Insider-only link) identify the Knicks, Celtics, Nets, and Sixers as four of the eight best candidates to make draft-night trades on Wednesday.

Raptors Confident About Keeping Fred VanVleet

November 15th, 2020 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors are confident that they can reach a new contract with free agent Fred VanVleet, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto has a strong relationship with VanVleet and has continued to communicate with his agent about a new deal.

VanVleet became a full-time starter last season and responded with a career year, averaging 17.6 points and 6.6 assists in 54 games. He was also fourth in the NBA in steals and led the league in deflections. A year before that, he was a valuable rotation piece as the Raptors won their first NBA title.

VanVleet spoke about his objectives in free agency during a recent appearance on J.J. Redick‘s podcast. He admitted wanting to maximize his earnings, but said other considerations will be part of his decision.

“I’m a businessman at heart … but I do value certain things when picking between franchises that are offering the same number,” he said. “That part will be easy … we know what teams are what.”

Grange notes that part of the reason for the Raptors’ confidence is a market limited by the small number of teams with cap space and the league-wide loss of revenue last season. Still, an Eastern Conference executive told Grange it wouldn’t be surprising if a team decided to give VanVleet a max offer of about $117.3MM over four years.

Grange identifies New York, Detroit and Phoenix as teams with cap space that will be in the market for a point guard. However, Knicks president Leon Rose may be looking at a different target in his first major move with the franchise, the Pistons reportedly won’t exceed an offer of about $20MM per year and the Suns are currently limited to $19MM in cap space. Grange expects Toronto to match anything in that range.

A larger offer could leave the Raptors with a difficult decision. Toronto’s long-term plan is to build around VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, who already has a max deal, and possibly OG Anunoby, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. Giving max money to VanVleet would take away any financial flexibility for the future.

Grange compares VanVleet’s situation to Kyle Lowry‘s free agency three years ago. Although there were rumors he might wind up with the Heat, Spurs or Timberwolves, Toronto’s front office was patient and eventually got him to re-sign. Grange expects a similar outcome this fall, with VanVleet agreeing to a deal that benefits both him and the team.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Okoro, Poirier, VanVleet, Nets

November 13th, 2020 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics have reportedly explored the possibility of packaging their three first-round picks (Nos. 14, 26, and 30) to move into the middle of the draft lottery. On Thursday, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer suggested that Boston’s intent with that plan may be to flip the newly-acquired mid-lottery pick to New Orleans in a deal for Jrue Holiday.

However, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com hears that the Celtics also have their eye on a potential target in the top 10. Sources tell Deveney that Boston has been “enamored with” Auburn forward Isaac Okoro all year and that he would be the target if the team trades up. The C’s would also be happy to see who falls to them at their current spot, Deveney adds.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Clarifying some comments he made recently to a French outlet, Celtics center Vincent Poirier tells Tom Westerholm of MassLive that he wasn’t upset about his limited role in 2019/20 and knows that if he wants more minutes, he has to earn them. “I just told (head coach Brad Stevens) I accepted the role I had this year, because obviously that’s what I deserved, because I didn’t show anything,” Poirier said. “But I think I worked, I think I understand the game, so I used this season to grow and to progress. I’m just saying that was cool, but as a competitor, as a man, as a basketball player, I want more. I’m not here just to be with the guys.” Poirier has a guaranteed $2.6MM salary for 2020/21.
Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun isn’t reading too much into Fred VanVleet‘s comments about “trying to get paid” in free agency. It’s hardly breaking news that money is an important consideration for top free agents, according to Wolstat, who says he’d still bet on the Raptors re-signing their veteran point guard.
Maryland’s Jalen Smith declined to say which teams he has worked out for, but the Nets were one of the first teams to interview him and have genuine interest in drafting him, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Smith told reporters in a conference call that if he gets an opportunity to play with Kevin Durant, it would be a “dream come true.”

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, VanVleet, Poirier, Toppin

November 11th, 2020 at 7:54pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though the Raptors prefer to host their home games for the 2020/21 season in Toronto, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca notes that the decision will ultimately be made by the Canadian government. The federal officials at the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Ottawa Citizenship, who oversee travel regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, may hesitate to make a special exemption on extant 14-day quarantine requirements for new arrivals into the country just to accommodate visiting U.S.-based NBA personnel.

With the draft and free agency scheduled for next week, plus an expected lift on the current pause on trades, time is running out for Raptors ownership to keep Toronto in Toronto.

Nashville, Tampa, Kansas City, Buffalo and Newark have all been floated as stateside alternative options for Toronto set up shop this season, per Grange and Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “Our focus is on playing in Toronto,” a team spokesperson said yesterday, per Koreen.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, one of the top free agents during the 2020 offseason, stated on J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter’s podcast The Old Man And The Three that money will be important in his offseason decision-making. He elaborated on the matter, per Joshua Howe of Sportsnet.ca. “I’m trying to get paid, man,” VanVleet said. “I won a championship and now it’s time to cash out.”
Celtics center Vincent Poirier is hoping for a larger role in Boston this season. Keith P Smith of Celtics Blog breaks down a conversation between Poirier and French outlet We Sport. “I don’t know where I’ll be,” Poirier said, “but in my head it’s obvious that I’m not doing one more season at the end of the bench to applaud.”
Brooklyn native Obi Toppin has worked out for four squads: the Timberwolves, the Hornets, the Cavaliers, and his hometown Knicks. Though New York has the lowest draft pick among these squads, the club is apparently hopeful to add the 6’9″ forward on November 18, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “They have a great organization,” Toppin commented during a Zoom chat today. “It would be great to go home. But there’s a lot of teams that are in front of them that would be great, too.”

And-Ones: Mirotic, Schedule, VanVleet, More

October 13th, 2020 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA forward and current Barcelona star Nikola Mirotic announced on Twitter that he has tested positive for COVID-19, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Mirotic said he feels fine and is following doctors’ instructions, but he won’t be playing in today’s game against Valencia Basket and his availability for Barcelona’s next several games will be jeopardized as well.

As noted in an ESPN story on Mirotic’s positive test, Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and assistant Darius Maskoliunas both tested positive for the coronavirus earlier in October.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a shot at predicting what the NBA’s offseason calendar might look like, speculating that free agency will begin right near the end of November (after Thanksgiving) and that Martin Luther King Day (January 18) will be the league’s new target date for opening night of the 2020/21 regular season.
In an interesting piece for The Athletic, a series of beat writers – including Eric Koreen, James Edwards III, and Mike Vorkunov – conducted a mock version of Fred VanVleet‘s free agency negotiations, concluding that the point guard’s floor this offseason is probably a four-year worth at least $80MM. In The Athletic’s exercise, the Raptors beat out the Pistons and Knicks to re-sign VanVleet.
Life isn’t always glamorous for American-born players who head overseas to continue their careers, according to CJ Moore of The Athletic, who spoke to a number of U.S. players that didn’t have great experiences playing in Europe or Asia.

Atlantic Notes: DSJ, Durant, Rivers, Antetokounmpo

October 9th, 2020 at 8:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. will be headed to free agency after next season and he’s trying to make a strong impression on new head coach Tom Thibodeau. He came to New York prior to the team’s mini-camp to work with the coaching staff, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. Smith will make $5.7MM next season and the team can make him a restricted free agent next offseason if it extends a $7.7MM qualifying offer. Smith has only appeared in 87 games over the last two seasons.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

Kevin Durant can opt out after the third season of his four-year contract with the Nets. However, his current plan is to finish out his career with Brooklyn, Durant indicated in a message on The Player Tribune’s “Text Message Talk Show” (hat tip to Brian Lewis of the New York Post). “As of today, this second, yes…” Durant texted during the show.
If Tyronn Lue doesn’t get another head coaching job soon, he could wind up on Doc Rivers’ staff again, this time with the Sixers, Derek Bodner of The Athletic speculates. Several other Clippers assistants — Sam Cassell, Armond Hill and Rex Kalamian — are also potential candidates to join Rivers in Philadelphia.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo signs an extension with Milwaukee, the Raptors would be wise to pursue a major player on the trade market prior to next year’s free agency period, Blake Murphy of The Athletic opines. It would also make it more viable to extend OG Anunoby and increase their comfort level of paying Fred VanVleet his asking price to re-sign.