3 offseason regrets Raptors may have after wild start to 2022
By Mike Luciano
1. Not extending Fred VanVleet
The Raptors need to spend time figuring out how much it will cost to retain VanVleet and Siakam in the future, as both of them are elite two-way standouts with championship experience in the Nick Nurse system. As it stands right now, the thought of VanVleet bolting is still an ever-present threat.
VanVleet’s stats are not as impressive as what he put up during his All-Star season, but one has to acknowledge the fact that he’s battled a non-COVID illness in these games. This team is not going anywhere in the short term without FVV, and they lack a prime replacement for him right now.
The Toronto Raptors must extend Fred VanVleet.
The Raptors will likely need to give VanVleet a nine-figure deal now that he’s shown All-Star play. Toronto will find it tough to keep this team unified, as giving Fred the contract he deserves could lead to role players like Gary Trent Jr. and Precious Achiuwa eventually being discarded.
With the salary cap expected to increase by a substantial margin and another solid season of play under his belt, all VanVleet is doing now is increasing his value and making it tougher for Toronto to keep everyone together. VanVleet appears to have bet on himself again, and he might get himself more well-compensated as a result.
Next. 5 trade targets to fix the bench scoring. dark