Adrian WojnarowskiSenior NBA Insider Jun 12, 2023 2:59pm ET2 minute read
In the first major domino of free agency, Toronto Raptors All-Star guard Fred VanVleet has turned down his $22.8 million player option and will become an unrestricted free agent in July, sources told ESPN on Monday.
Sources say VanVleet hasn’t ruled out the possibility of him negotiating a new contract and a return to the Raptors, but he’s becoming one of the most prominent guards out there and an immediate target for teams with cap room and multiple contenders turning would be happy to talk about a commitment. and trade scenarios with Toronto, sources said.
There are teams with and without a salary cap that have the mechanics to go after VanVleet, who has consistently proven himself to be a leading defender and has the ability to influence the Raptors’ victory.
There were several competing teams discussing VanVleet deadline deals with the Raptors. These talks could be revisited in free hands.
VanVleet, 29, has played his entire seven-year NBA career with the Raptors, where he played an immense role in the franchise’s 2019 NBA championship run.
VanVleet averaged 19.3 points and a career-best 7.2 assists last season, ranking in the top 10 by assists-to-gross ratio. VanVleet had six games last season with 25 points and 10 assists — the most in a season by a Toronto player since Damon Stoudamire in 1996-1997, according to a study by ESPN Stats & Information.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, VanVleet ranked third in steals (1.8) and first in deflections per game in the NBA. His standing in Raptor history was impressive. He’s one of two players (alongside Kyle Lowry) to have 1,000 three-pointers. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he is also one of two players, along with Wilt Chamberlain and the 76ers, to boast the franchise’s record for points and assists in a single game.
Over the past three seasons, VanVleet has averaged 37.1 minutes per game — the second-most minutes in the NBA, behind only teammate Pascal Siakam. In fact, VanVleet has led the NBA in miles traveled per game for each of the past three seasons, according to Second Spectrum tracking data.