Raptors PG Fred VanVleet to Become Free Agent This Summer

NBA Champion and 2022 All-Star Fred VanVleet will be keeping his options open as free agency is set to begin this summer, potentially marking his end with the Toronto Raptors.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news via Twitter:

VanVleet, 29, has put up All-Star caliber numbers for several seasons running and will look to keep up and elevate his level of play with whichever team he decides to sign with.

Declining his $22.8 million player option opens the door for a more sizable contract reflective of the current NBA market and what a player of his caliber provides.

VanVleet excels as a very good three-point shooter both off of the dribble and from the catch-and-shoot, having great range and the ability to connect off the feed as the trailer.

His 7.2 assists per game in 2022-23 marked a career high, though his 39.3 percent field goal clip marked the second time in three years that he failed to shoot 40 percent or better.

Should Damian Lillard choose to leave Rip City and embark on a championship journey elsewhere, VanVleet would provide a do-it-all point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Whether in transitional period of playoff contention, a veteran leader on a rebuilding team, or another key piece in a championship puzzle contingent on management making all the right ancillary moves, VanVleet is a player that Portland could keep its eye on.

Portland is on the books for $111.68 million next season excluding potential re-ups for Jerami Grant and Drew Eubanks. With Lillard’s departure, an excess of $45 million would be freed.