Toronto Raptors: Should Fred VanVleet be a priority this offseason?
Should the Toronto Raptors prioritize Fred VanVleet?
After losing to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Toronto Raptors head into an offseason in which three of their core rotation players will be free agents. Of the three, it’s already been reported that Fred VanVleet will be a priority for the Raptors.
Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol are also free agents during the offseason, but will likely be secondary priorities after VanVleet. Especially considering how important VanVleet proved to be for Toronto all season long. VanVleet is coming off a career-year in which he averaged 18 points, seven assists, and four rebounds per game.
Question is, with the summer of 2021 on the horizon, should the Raptors pay VanVleet big money during the offseason?
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On the surface, re-signing VanVleet should seem like a no-brainer. However, the task that Masai Ujiri will have to manage this offseason is trying to maintain top-tier competitiveness while also keeping complete flexibility heading into next summer (or offseason).
The good news is that Toronto’s cap sheet is relatively clean head into 2021 at the moment. The only “big” contract that they’ll have on the books is Pascal Siakam‘s. After that, though, the Raptors are fairly clear. Of course, that’s depending on what they do this offseason.
VanVleet likely will be seeking a multi-year contract, one that will likely pay him between $18-22 million per season. That’s a manageable deal for the Raptors but could limit Ujiri in their pursuit of Serge Ibaka and other free agents to improve this team’s roster – short of Ibaka willing to take a big-money, one year deal for next season.
On the other hand, the Raptors could bypass re-signing VanVleet, letting him sign with another team and maintain complete flexibility for 2021. If the Raptors sign VanVleet and are looking to re-sign Lowry after next season, it could put Toronto in a bad place heading into free agency. Unless, of course, Lowry is willing to take a significant pay cut.
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The Toronto Raptors have some big decisions to make, but at this point, you have to trust Masai Ujiri to manage what’s next for the franchise.