Last summer produced one of the most hectic and memorable free agency bouts in NBA history, but this offseason seems to be a little more relaxed. There aren’t that many big names hitting the market and most of those who are – Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram, for example – should sign with their teams again. Also, most teams don’t have a lot of room to work.
But while there won’t be news helicopters following superstars on their way to meetings, there are still plenty of solid players out there and plenty of activity worth monitoring. One such situation involves unrestricted free agent Fred VanVleet. After a career season with the Toronto Raptors, the former unenrolled point guard is now lining up for the biggest payday of his life.
While the Raptors may end up signing it again, it’s expected to get a lot of attention in such a weak class, and the fact that it’s unrestricted means a team has a chance to rip it off with a great offer. Regardless of what happens, any interested team will have to pay, as they are expected to order a deal similar to Malcolm Brogdon, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:
VanVleet, 26, can soon afford many, many, many Corvettes. In the free agent class of 2020, he will likely command the third biggest contract behind Anthony Davis and Brandon Ingram (both of whom are expected to re-sign with their respective teams). People across the league see Malcolm Brogdon’s deal last year with the Pacers as VanVleet’s confrontation, which means about four years, $ 85 million.
The Raptors are betting favorites to re-sign VanVleet, but his free agency has no restrictions and the Knicks, according to sources, are among other teams with interest. If they don’t pull the trigger on a trade with Chris Paul, it definitely makes sense for the Knicks with the cap.