Raptors news: Fred VanVleet talks Instagram drama, former Raptor on trade block

Fred VanVleet shook off a bad run of games and some harsh social media criticism as the Toronto Raptors took down the Los Angeles Lakers behind his 25-point effort. While his 3-point shooting continued to suffer (3-for-12), VanVleet found a rhythm closer to the basket, going 5-for-8 from two while nailing multiple well-placed floaters.

Despite that, the main focus of the post-game press conference for VanVleet was once again social media, though instead of the Twitter venting of Raptors faithful, these questions surrounded VanVleet’s recent Instagram unfollowing purge.

Fans noted that VanVleet had seemingly unfollowed all of his Raptors teammates on Instagram. Naturally, the internet quickly began to speculate, eager to find the answer to VanVleet’s seemingly ruthless detachment from his teammates’ feeds. Was something secretly brewing behind the scenes in Toronto?

However, as is usual with these Instagram scandals, the truth is far less interesting. People quickly noticed VanVleet had also unfollowed his own wife and mother, making the team dissent angle much less likely. To the Raptors’ point guard’s credit, he came locked and loaded with a tongue-in-cheek response to the hilarious dramatics.

More Raptors news

• The Raptors 905 pulled out a win against the Greensboro Swarm in Dalano Banton’s first appearance this year. Following a six-game skid, which included a loss in the first of two games against the Swarm, the 905 followed Reggie Perry (24/10/2) to a much-needed victory, taking them to 5-7 on the season.
• Jayson Tatum gave high praise to OG Anunoby, letting him know that he expects to be playing with or against him in Utah for this year’s All-Star Game. Tatum and Anunoby have a connection from back in their high school days, as both of them were among the most hyped prospects on the Missouri circuit.

NBA news

• The Spurs have put former Raptors big Jakob Poeltl on the trade block well ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. The Spurs are reportedly looking for multiple first-round picks. Early reports mention Toronto and Golden State as the main interested parties, so a former Raptor may be returning sometime this season.
• The New York Knicks are reportedly working with Cam Reddish and his agent to find a trade partner for the seldom-utilized small forward. The former first-round pick has failed to stick in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, calling into question the Knick’s decision to trade a pick for a player Thibs never seemed to want.