One of the top guards on the free agent market is off the board. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors — who was expected to garner plenty of interest as an unrestricted free agent for a team that needed someone to run their offense — will return to Tampa Toronto on a four-year deal that will pay him $85 million.
Fred VanVleet has agreed to a four-year, $85M deal to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors, agent Brian Jungreis of @ParLay_SE told @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2020
Charania added that the deal has a player option in it for the fourth year.
VanVleet's contract includes a player option in the fourth season, sources said. His agency, @ParLay_SE, has done $145M in contracts over last two days. https://t.co/8f7R6ota5M
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2020
VanVleet is one of the best stories in the NBA. Once a decorated but undrafted guard out of Wichita State, VanVleet cut his teeth in the Raptors’ G League system and eventually made his way to the senior squad as a reserve guard. He kept on grinding and eventually became an invaluable member of their rotation, playing a major role in the team winning its first ever NBA championship in 2019.
Last season, VanVleet ascended to Toronto’s starting lineup, where he had an incredibly productive season — he averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 35.7 minutes per game, all career-best marks, while providing tenacious defense on the other end of the floor. It’s unclear what the market was for his services, but regardless, VanVleet will continue to ply his trade up north.
