The Toronto Raptors, in the last decade, have been a very good team, boasting some great players. Fred VanVleet is one of those who are among the NBA’s greatest success stories. VanVleet was undrafted and was given an opportunity by the Raptors. He took it, becoming an NBA champion and signing an $85 million deal with the team in 2020. VanVleet has been with the team his whole career; he’s quite loyal to Toronto.
He showed that loyalty in a recent interview as well. Having been through the disappointments with Toronto when they lost to LeBron, as well as the heights of a championship with Kawhi, VanVleet has seen it all at the NBA level. And he thinks very highly of the team’s biggest prospect, youngster Scottie Barnes. Speaking to Serge Ibaka on his show, VanVleet explained that he wouldn’t give up on Barnes, even for one of the best players in the game.
Fred VanVleet Wouldn’t Trade Scottie Barnes For Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has been one of the best players in the league for a long time now. He is averaging nearly 30 points per game this season too. When he wanted a trade in the offseason, the only reason he didn’t get one was that his value was too high. So when VanVleet was asked if he would make a trade for KD, which would involve giving up Scottie Barnes, his answer was a surprising one.
(starts at 2:56 minutes)
Serge Ibaka: “If Masai came to you and said, he can trade Scottie Barnes for Kevin Durant. Would you take it?”
Fred VanVleet: “I wouldn’t do it. I told you man, I’m a loyal guy, I’m not a trade guy, I wouldn’t do it.”
Serge Ibaka: “So you would turn down Kevin Durant to keep Scottie?”
Fred VanVleet: “Yes.”
The answer was, in part, not very genuine, as it was part of a game that involved having to drink cricket tea, but there are some merits to that take. A one-for-one trade would be a no-brainer, but Barnes has shown the ability to become a bona fide star as he continues to develop.
He is nowhere close to KD’s level, of course, but it seems VanVleet is more about being loyal to his teammates. Barnes is just 21, though, and his potential is still unknown, which makes this an interesting question at the current time. VanVleet has his answer, though, even if it may not have been entirely genuine.
