Raptors: Chris Paul news make Fred VanVleet to Suns more likely

Even though NBA free agency is under a month away, it doesn’t stop the rumor mill from churning. News broke that the Phoenix Suns and Chris Paul are discussing Paul’s future with the franchise. The discussions include a trade, a stretch and waive,  or waive.

You might be wondering what does this have to do with the Toronto Raptors?

Well, the Raptors have to deal with their own free-agency decisions, including re-signing Fred VanVleet. What could prevent VanVleet from staying in Toronto is that teams like the Suns are interested in him.

The Chris Paul news has made the odds of VanVleet going to Phoenix more likely, as they will likely have a star-shaped hole in the backcourt that Mat Ishiba could fill with VanVleet via either a sign-and-trade or a competitive free agency offer,

Will Chris Paul news lead to Fred VanVleet leaving the Toronto Raptors?

VanVleet is younger than Paul. He fits with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton age-wise while creating a team for Kevin Durant to compete for a championship. With VanVleet on the Suns, this team can extend their championship window for a few more years.

The Suns’ interest in VanVleet isn’t a new thing. They kicked the tires on him back in the 2018 offseason and also had an interest in him in 2020, but Phoenix decided to trade for Paul. VanVleet decided to stay with the Raptors despite having an interest in other teams.

What makes Phoenix’s chances of signing him higher now than the previous times is now the Suns are contenders. Now that Phoenix has Durant, they are expected to contend as long as they have KD on the roster.

Adding VanVleet to the team could help that, as he is still a dynamite defender and hot shooter that can distribute the ball to Booker and Durant when Phoenix needs a bucket.

VanVleet going to Phoenix is far from a done deal, but with the uncertainty of the direction that the Raptors would like to go, VanVleet might want to go to the Suns instead of re-signing with the Raptors due to the fact Phoenix has a clear directive of winning a championship.

The offseason hasn’t officially started yet, but that’s not going to prevent teams from making changes before free agency starts. It’s more likely now than it ever has been before that VanVleet could leave Toronto and play in Phoenix.