Raptors a Team to Watch for Gabe Vincent Should Fred VanVleet Walk, per Report

The Toronto Raptors are said to be a team to watch as a landing spot for Gabe Vincent should Fred VanVleet walk in free agency this summer

So what happens if Fred VanVleet does walk in free agency?

Keep an eye on Gabe Vincent as a potential target of the Toronto Raptors, according to Yahoo’s Jake Fischer, should VanVleet sign elsewhere. A VanVleet departure would create a glaring hole in Toronto’s backcourt and leave the Raptors with enough space to use the mid-level exception on someone like Vincent.

Vincent, 27, would be a significant step down from VanVleet, albeit on a much smaller contract. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 9.4 points on 40.2% shooting with a 33.4% three-point stroke before breaking out in the playoffs. He played a key role for the Miami Heat in the post-season, nailing 37.8% of his threes while averaging 12.7 points per game.

Miami is said to value Vincent at roughly $10 million per season, Fischer wrote, meaning Toronto could, in theory, sign him with the $12.4 million mid-level exceptions should VanVleet depart.

The Raptors are unlikely to have access to the mid-level exception if VanVleet and Jakob Poeltl do return to Toronto. They team is expected to be right up against the $165 million luxury tax threshold unless a cost-saving trade is made. The Raptors could free up enough space by moving some combination of Chris Boucher, Otto Porter Jr., or Gary Trent Jr. to open up the mid-level exception. 

Further Reading

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