It's shaping up to be a busy offseason for Fred VanVleet.
While VanVleet has one more year remaining on his contract with the Raptors, it's a player option that he can decline to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
VanVleet will be one of the best players available if he decides to go down that route. This year's free agent class is headlined by James Harden and Kyrie Irving, and it features the likes of Khris Middleton, Kyle Kuzma, Jerami Grant and Draymond Green.
Free agency is still a few weeks away, but some teams are already emerging as possible destinations for VanVleet should he test free agency.
MORE: Raptors enter an offseason full of questions and no clear answers
Fred VanVleet free agency rumors
Ahead of Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that VanVleet has "often been linked" to the Rockets as a secondary option should Harden remain with the 76ers. Like VanVleet, Harden has a player option in his contract for the 2023-24 season that he is expected to decline to become a free agent.
The Rockets are one of only a few teams expected to have cap space in the offseason. The Athletic's Danny Leroux projects them to have around $61 million in space, the most in the NBA. The Rockets are said to be focusing on adding "a proven table-setting point guard, then looking to acquire upgrades at the wing and center position," per Fischer.
There has also been speculation that the 76ers could be an option for VanVleet.
Philadelphia recently announced that VanVleet's former coach, Nick Nurse, will replace Doc Rivers on the sidelines. VanVleet was complimentary about what Nurse will bring to the 76ers and raised some eyebrows when he said Nurse will "have some success, hopefully not too much if I'm not there and I'm staying in Toronto, then we want him to fail."
During the season, the Magic and Suns were mentioned as other potential suitors for VanVleet in free agency.
Fred VanVleet stats
2022-23 regular season stats
- 36.7 minutes per game
- 19.3 points per game
- 7.2 assists per game
- 4.1 rebounds per game
- 1.8 steals per game
- 0.6 blocks per game
- 39.3 percent field goal shooting
- 34.2 percent 3-point shooting
- 89.8 percent free throw shooting
Career stats
- 29.7 minutes per game
- 14.6 points per game
- 5.3 assists per game
- 3.3 rebounds per game
- 1.3 steals per game
- 0.4 blocks per game
- 40.2 percent field goal shooting
- 37.3 percent 3-point shooting
- 86.9 percent free throw shooting
Fred VanVleet contract details
VanVleet signed a four-year, $85 million deal with the Raptors in 2020. His contract includes a $22.8 million player option for the 2023-24 season, making him a potential unrestricted free agent this summer.
If VanVleet picks up his player option, he will be an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason.
| 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | |
| Fred VanVleet contract | $21,250,000 | $22,824,074 (PO) | UFA |
