Fred VanVleet Free Agency Update Should Take Him Off Jazz’s Radar

A new payday is coming up for many around the league as free agency kicks off in less than two weeks. We will likely see many big numbers flying around as new players join their brand new franchises, some potentially way bigger than fans would have expected.

That’s now what’s happened now with Fred VanVleet’s recently reported asking price.

The Toronto Raptors guard has been rumored to be looking for around $30 million annually with his next contract. He’s coming off of a season averaging 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, a slight dip from the previous year’s production.

"Toronto Raptors free agent guard

Fred VanVleet is expected to command $30-plus million annually,

according to NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype. New Rockets coach Ime Udoka is believed to covet a veteran point guard, according to league sources."

- Michael Scotto on Fred VanVleet, via

HoopsHype

.

While we have seen VanVleet be a starting guard for a championship team, along with an All-Star selection a year ago, $30 million is just too hefty of a price to pay. Even the Utah Jazz who have a ton of free money would be better off steering clear of that price tag.

Signing VanVleet with the open money the Jazz currently have could be a good move in the short term. He's a former championship-level guard with good two-way ability, but that’s just not something Utah needs to invest $120 million or more into at this point in their timeline.

With time, VanVleet will inevitably get older, regress more, and likely will prove that he is not worth the money he’s previously been signed to two or three years down the line. The new CBA is no joke, and teams need to do their best to stay under that crucial second tax apron to avoid any future financial restrictions. Getting rid of a less-productive, expensive Fred later down the line will be more difficult with teams less willing to shell out that money.

Could this signing make the Jazz a better team in year one? Yes. However, is it a sustainable addition in the long term? That becomes a bit fuzzy. Using this extra salary on younger players commanding less money would be a safer, better route for Utah to go during this free agency.

Instead of the Jazz spending significant money on a guard in his prime, they could opt to look to the draft for a cheaper and younger player with a higher ceiling. This seems like the obvious choice to go.

The Jazz have a variety of options to choose from during this exciting offseason.

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