Fred VanVleet isn’t a name that immediately pops out on the roster sheet, but his play in recent years and contributions to the Raptors during their title run has put him on the radar of many teams around the association.
After making $8 million in ’19-20, VanVleet will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and, the word on the street is, he wants to secure the bag.
“I’m not shy about that, I’m trying to get paid man,” VanVleet said on ‘The Old Man & The Three’ podcast. “I value winning, I’ve won a championship, now it’s time to cash out. It’s not purely numbers but at then end of the day I just want to feel my value reciprocated on the other side.”
"I'm trying to get paid, man. I don't have to tell people that I value winning. Look at my story. …I won a championship. And now it's time to cash out."
Fred VanVleet knows his worth 💰
(via @OldManAndThree)pic.twitter.com/XoH37wxzEP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 11, 2020
The Toronto Raptors are just a season removed from their Championship run in 2019. But, without Kawhi Leonard, they just didn’t have enough to replicate those results for the second year in a row.
So, with the Raptors still clearly a few pieces away from true title contention, nobody knows what will happen to the team or who will still be on the roster by January.
VanVleet has spent all of his four seasons in Toronto and has shown major improvement year after year.
But after averaging a career-high 17.6 points per game in 2020, he’s ready to chase the bag, even if it means leaving his current team behind.
