The Toronto Raptors were unable to retain Fred VanVleet for the next half-decade, as the Raptors great traded in his Canadian digs for a new home in Texas with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets made him an offer that he would have been foolish to turn down.
VanVleet ended up agreeing to a three-year, $128 million contract that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the league. While some might not like the fact VanVleet is gone, few can find fault in the fact that Toronto’s best offer was nowhere close to what Houston offered.
According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, the Raptors were unwilling to go beyond $90 million in any three-year contract, with that limit being described as a “glass ceiling” that they were unwilling to go past. Can you fault the front office for refusing to follow VanVleet into such unusually heightened waters?
The Rockets were willing to use their cap space, lack of state tax, and need a point guard to their advantage. The Raptors could have retained VanVleet from a basketball point of view, but they would have constructed the worst bench in human history if they went into the luxury tax to sign VanVleet.
Fred VanVleet journey:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 1, 2023
— Undrafted
— Champion
— Signed largest contract ever for an undrafted player ($85M)
— Now, $43M per year pic.twitter.com/l8fUPwl91C
More Raptors news
- The Raptors officially agreed to terms with former Kansas star and first-round pick Gradey Dick on his rookie scale contract. Dick figures to feature prominently in the club’s Summer League schedule, as the Raptors will unleash the elite shooter upon the masses.
- James Wade, formerly the head coach and general manager of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, has resigned from his position in order to join the Raptors as an assistant coach. The 2019 WNBA Coach of the Year and 2021 WNBA champion, Wade went 74-50 and made the playoffs in all four of his season with the Sky.
Today, I spoke to former Sky coach/GM James Wade about his decision to accept a position with the Raptors, which he said had nothing to do with concern over job security and everything to do with his family + an opportunity to "further myself as a coach."https://t.co/GYTBQPYFxv
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) July 3, 2023
NBA news
- Anthony Edwards agreed to a five-year, $260 million extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves, establishing the former No. 1 pick as the club’s franchise cornerstone. Edwards’ deal is identical to that of LaMelo Ball, who was picked two choices after him in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Hornets.
- Damian Lillard has requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, and he reportedly has not been shy about his desire to join the Miami Heat. Undaunted by this, the Celtics, Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Clippers are among the teams Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report claims are interested in him.