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Coveted free agent Fred VanVleet will meet with interested suitors Toronto Raptors, his current team and the Houston Rockets when free agency begins Friday at 6:00 PM ET.
According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, he will meet with officials from Houston and Toronto in Los Angeles.
VanVleet is expected to command around $30 million annually in free agency. He is one of the best point guards in the 2023 free agency class. He declined a $22 million player option with the Raptors to become an unrestricted free agent.
Fred VanVleet has generated league-wide interest from teams like the LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, while the Toronto Raptors are also pushing to re-sign him. The Rockets and Raptors remain the only likely landing spots for the 2022 All-Star.
The Rockets prefer adding a veteran point guard to their young core, and new coach Ime Udoka deems VanVleet a good fit. The Rockets were also interested in James Harden and Chris Paul, but Houston's interest in the former flamed out, while Paul got traded to the Golden State Warriors.
According to numerous reports, Houston is planning to offer VanVleet a lucrative two-year $83 million contract, split at $41.5 million annually, making him one of the highest-paid players.
However, the duration of that deal could split his mind on joining the team. The Raptors, meanwhile, could offer him a five-year $200 million contract, but it remains to be seen if they can shell out that much money.
Marc Stein reports Fred VanVleet not striking a verbal agreement with the Rockets would be a surprise
The Houston Rockets' max offer on a two-year deal to Fred VanVleet seems too good to decline. There aren't many suitors out there willing to match that. The Toronto Raptors may also refuse to offer that sum to VanVleet.
The Rockets might be overpaying, but due to the short-term nature of the deal, they should be able to afford it.
According to Stein, it would be a league-wide surprise if VanVleet doesn't verbally agree with the Rockets on this deal.
Here's what he said:
“It has reached the point when I speak to various teams that it would be a legitimate leaguewide surprise now if Fred VanVleet doesn't strike verbal agreements to join the Houston Rockets by Friday night. VanVleet, is expected to receive 2 YR/$83.6M”
VanVleet is a solid option as a lead point guard but is coming off a mediocre season. He averaged 19.3 points and 7.2 assists on 39/34/89 splits. The Toronto Raptors could only manage to finish with the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
They lost their first knockout game at home to the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament.
Nevertheless, Fred VanVleet could use a change of scenery in Houston, where he might be able to increase his efficiency. He could be a solid fit under new coach Ime Udoka's system with younger pieces around him.
