The Toronto Raptors are a team in a state of flux right now, and it seems as though they are headed toward a rebuild around young star Scottie Barnes. They have a number of veteran players whose futures are unclear at the moment.
Two of those players are Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet. Both players have player options on their contracts for the 2023-24 season: VanVleet’s amounts to $22,824,074, while Trent Jr’s comes out to $18,560,000. A recent report from Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report revealed that league personnel would end up declining those options and heading elsewhere.
“The franchise is deciding its direction, and many around the league believe Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. won’t return (both have player options).”
Both players could end up being difference-makers on contenders, and it makes sense for them to pursue lucrative deals elsewhere. There’s no reason for two quality veterans to stay on a franchise that could end up going through a rebuild, though perhaps the team can still convince them to stay by outbidding other suitors.
The Lakers Could Look To Sign-And-Trade D’Angelo Russell To Acquire Fred VanVleet
The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that has had well-documented interest in Fred VanVleet, even prior to the trade deadline during the regular season. In fact, a previous report revealed the team could try to acquire him via sign-and-trade by sending out D’Angelo Russell.
“My read on the situation is that the Lakers would prefer to use D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade, but I’m not sure the market is there. Landing Kyrie Irving for Russell is shaping up to be a pipe dream, especially with Dallas unlikely to help Los Angeles out. Fred VanVleet, a Klutch client, looms as a possibility, but adding him would require Toronto to agree to terms with Russell (or take on the Beasley and Bamba contracts).”
The Lakers could definitely elect to find a replacement at the point guard position due to D’Angelo Russell’s poor performances in the postseason, where he only averaged 13.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 4.6 APG while shooting 31% from the 3PT range. Fred VanVleet would definitely be a good option for them, though other players such as Chris Paul have also been floated as options. It remains to be seen which option the team goes with, but it’s clear that they have some important decisions to make.
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