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Former Toronto Raptors starting point guard Fred VanVleet is taking his talents to the Houston Rockets. “Steady Freddy,” who played his entire seven-year career with the Raptors, will become the Rockets’ much sought-after veteran team leader.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski posted the breaking news:
“VanVleet lands the first max contract of the summer.
“Free agent G Fred VanVleet has agreed on a three-year, $130 million contract with the Houston Rockets, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul and agent Erika Ruiz tell ESPN. Rockets land ex-Raptors All-Star in his prime at 29 years old.”
Fred VanVleet was the Toronto Raptors’ backup point guard to Kyle Lowry when the team won the 2019 NBA championship over the Golden State Warriors. When Lowry left for the Miami Heat, VanVleet became the team’s primary playmaker.
During the 2021-22 season, VanVleet was selected for the All-Star game. He averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals that season.
VanVleet signed a four-year $85 million deal with the Toronto Raptors in 2020. The Wichita State product declined a $22.8 million player option for the 2023-24 season.
His new deal with the Rockets, which pays him $40.8 million, is a significant jump from what he got in Toronto. He will be excited to prove he is worth the money the Rockets are giving him.
The Houston Rockets have several young and talented players led by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr.
Houston’s front office has been looking for a reliable leader who is a proven winner. VanVleet checked the boxes the Rockets wanted from a veteran point guard.
Will Fred VanVleet start over Kevin Porter Jr.?
Kevin Porter Jr. played 61 and 59 games respectively over the past two seasons. He has been the Houston Rockets starting point guard during that span.
“KPJ” has the size at 6-foot-4 and oozes with talent and athleticism to be a top-notch playmaker in the NBA. However, he has been reckless at times and his decision-making leaves much to be desired.
In three years since becoming the Rockets’ play-caller, he has averaged 3.2 turnovers in the game, one of the worst in the league.
New coach Ime Udoka isn’t fond of his starting point guard committing errors, especially unforced ones. He called out Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during his time with the Boston Celtics when the trio were careless with the ball.
Udoka will have the same standard coaching as the Rockets. He will likely prefer the player who is more reliable in orchestrating the plays. If "KPJ" remains, he could come off the bench.
The Houston Rockets could also just end the Kevin Porter Jr. experiment and hand the reins of the team to Fred VanVleet Jr. They could even look to trade Porter Jr. and his expiring $15.8 million contract.
While Porter Jr.'s days in Houston could be numbered, if he is indeed traded, VanVleet should be guaranteed the starting point guard role.
Also read: Who is Fred VanVleet's fiancée, Shontai Neal? Looking at their relationship timeline
