Fred VanVleet is the starting point guard of the Toronto Raptors, and he has historically been a solid player that excels at 3PT shooting and playmaking. This year though, Fred VanVleet has struggled with his shooting, however. He is currently averaging 18.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 6.2 APG but is only shooting 32.9% from the 3PT range.
Even with his struggles, Fred VanVleet is a valuable member of the Toronto Raptors as a leader in the locker room and floor general. According to a report from Tim Bontemps of ESPN, prior to the season, the Toronto Raptors offered Fred VanVleet a four-year, $114 million extension. However, the point guard seemingly believes he is worth more than what was offered by Toronto.
Before the season, sources said Toronto offered VanVleet the full amount it could in an extension off his current contract: four years and $114 million, per ESPN’s Marks.
VanVleet told reporters after Toronto’s win Sunday that both sides agreed to wait, in part because VanVleet has the ability to sign the extension anytime between now and June 30 if he turns down his player option for next season.
But one thing is clear: VanVleet believes he’s worth more than what Toronto can currently give him.
“Without going too far into it … [I’m] just trying to put myself in a good position business-wise, and not take an extension on a deal that was made three or four years ago,” VanVleet told ESPN.
“I felt like I’ve outplayed that contract thus far. So just trying to get myself in a position to put the cards in their hands. They got to make a decision from an organization standpoint.
“I love being here. I love being a Raptor. I got a great relationship with Masai and Bobby, so I’m confident that we could find [a deal]. It’s a great partnership that we have, so going forward, I’m not going to make it easy on them and they’re not going to make it on me either, and that’s the way it’s going.”
It remains to be seen if Fred Van Vleet does end up remaining with the Toronto Raptors. He is a fan-favorite for the franchise, and it is quite possible that the two sides will end up coming to an agreement in the future. It could be wise for him to sign that extension if it is available, however, as he is unlikely to get more than that on the open market unless his performance drastically improves.
Opposing Teams Want To Trade For Toronto Raptors Players
Even though their team is poor this season, the Toronto Raptors have a large number of talented players on the roster. In fact, a previous report revealed that the rest of the league is “waiting anxiously” for the Toronto Raptors to trade Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
“Or maybe they go all in and consider trading Siakam and Anunoby for what would likely be massive returns of picks and young talent. ‘A s—load’ was the ballpark estimate provided by one league insider. The rest of the league is waiting anxiously.”
It remains to be seen if the Toronto Raptors do engage in a full-scale rebuild in the future. They have avoided doing so during Masai Ujiri’s tenure, but there is a first time for everything.
With that being said, there is a chance that the Toronto Raptors will end up turning things around. They have the potential to be a really good team if things click, and we’ll see if they can make a winning run in the future.
Source: fadeawayworld
