Could Toronto’s Fred VanVleet be on the Brooklyn Nets’ radar?
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has an interesting offseason ahead of him as he has to figure out whether he wants to stay with the Raptors or find his way to a team that has a better chance of making noise in the playoffs. According to Bleacher Report, if VanVleet opts in to his $22.8 million player option, he could be open his prospects to teams like the Brooklyn Nets.
Per the article, VanVleet could be looking for a contract similar to New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson’s contract of $26 million annually and may be able to get that kind of deal, but most likely for a team that is rebuilding. However, if VanVleet, who averaged 19.3 points and 7.2 assists per game for Toronto this past season, opts in to his player option and signs an extension, he could make himself more desirable to teams that aren’t exactly championship contenders, but are looking to get there.
Where Brooklyn decides to go this offseason will be interesting since they seem to be in the middle of the NBA hierarchy. As this past season showed, after trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, they were playing below-average basketball as they finished the season with a 12-15 record when having their current roster. With the rumors of the Nets possibly going after Damian Lillard, VanVleet could be a good second option if Lillard stays in Portland.
