Raptors' Fred VanVleet declines player option and will become free agent, per reports
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet is set to become a free agent this summer after declining his player option for the 2023-24 season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 2022 NBA All-Star, who helped propel the Raptors to the 2019 NBA championship, will be able to sign with any team in the league. He had one year and $22 million remaining on a 4-year, $85 million deal he signed in 2020.
VanVleet, who will have many suiters around the league, has not ruled out a renegotiation with the Raptors, according to ESPN. There could be also options for Toronto to engage in a sign-and-trade deal to send VanVleet to another team.
VanVleet averaged 19.3 points per game in 2022-23 – down slightly from the previous two seasons (19.6 in 2020-21 and 20.3 in 2021-22) – but ranked in the top 15 in assists and steals per game as well as 3-pointers made. The 29-year-old has spent his entire career in Toronto and is one of two players in Raptors history to have 1,000 total 3-pointers made.
The Raptors signed VanVleet to a multi-year deal in 2016 after he went undrafted out of Wichita State. VanVleet earned a roster spot, slowly working his way into the rotation before breaking out during the 2018-19 season. It was the first season he averaged double digits in points, playing a major role off the bench during the Raptors championship run.
VanVleet's 22 points in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals were a career-high and pushed Toronto to its first NBA title in franchise history. He finished second in NBA Finals MVP voting and became a full time starter next season. When he signed his a 4-year, $85 million contract in 2020, VanVleet became the highest paid undrafted player in NBA history.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fred VanVleet declines Raptors' player option, to become free agent
