Houston is set to become one of the biggest sponsors of the 2023 offseason after reportedly mating with one-time All-Star Fred VanVleet.
Veteran point guard Fred VanVleet is leaving the Raptors, lured by a whopping three-year, $130 million deal with the Rockets.
Free agent G Fred VanVleet has agreed a three-year, $130 million deal with the Houston Rockets. @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul and agent Erika Ruiz tell ESPN. Rockets land ex-Raptors All-Star in his prime at 29. pic.twitter.com/B6WwPmLYq1
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
Rockets get Fred VanVleet, their top target in free agency https://t.co/usP4gQSXA5 via @houstonchron
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 1, 2023
VanVleet, an undrafted player signed by the Raptors in 2016, has developed into a regular goalscorer and playmaker over his seven NBA seasons.
VanVleet – who famously uses the phrase “bet on yourself” to describe his career from undeclared player to NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors – will make about $525,000 per game over the next three seasons.
That’s almost what he earned in total as a rookie in Toronto — about $550,000.
He was most recently a free agent in the 2020 offseason, signing a four-year, $85 million deal while Toronto tried to build him up with budding forward Pascal Siakam and defensive-minded swingman OG Anunoby after strong guard Kyle Lowry team had left for Miami via a free agency.
VanVleet hasn’t disappointed since, averaging 19.8 points, 4.2 assists and 6.8 rebounds over the past three seasons. He was a 2021–22 All-Star and one of 11 guards to average at least 19 ppg and 7.0 apg in 2022–23.
He was a key part of the 2019 Raptors championship team and made several key performances on their road to the NBA title. In the Eastern Conference Finals, he scored 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting in a Game 5 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. In the deciding game 6 away against Golden State in the NBA Finals, he scored 22 points as he joined Siakam and Kawhi Leonard in helping Toronto win.
VanVleet is among the all-time Raptors all-time leaders in points made (eighth), assists (third), steals (fourth), and 3-pointers made and attempted (second in both categories).
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.