Raptors Have Options if Fred VanVleet Leaves in Free Agency
There's no doubt that the Toronto Raptors are going to do everything they can to bring back Fred VanVleet next season. Re-signing the 26-year-old guard was repeatedly called a "priority" by Raptors president Masai Ujiri last month and Raptors coach Nick Nurse told Sportsnet he'd be "pretty surprised" if VanVleet wasn't in Toronto next season. But eventually, the Raptors have to have a breaking point if they want to keep cap space open for the 2021 offseason and the prospect of signing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Losing VanVleet would be a really tough blow for Toronto. Not only is he one of the league's best perimeter defenders for his size, but he was one of the few Raptors players who could really create for himself offensively, something Toronto lacked at times during the regular season and certainly in the playoffs.
Fortunately for Toronto, the cupboards aren't bare behind VanVleet, and knowing the Raptors front office, there are plenty of contingency plans if VanVleet does decide to walk away.
So what can Toronto do if VanVleet leaves this fall?
1. Upgrade internally
The Raptors had a surplus of serviceable guards last season with Terence Davis II emerging as a viable rotation player and Norman Powell posting a career year last season, averaging 16 points per game on 49.5% shooting.
If Toronto is forced to move on from VanVleet, things won't look too bleak for the Raptors. Nurse should be able to slip Powell into the starting lineup and move Davis into the third guard role next season.
2. Draft a guard
Drafting based on free agency needs is always tricky in the NBA because the draft — scheduled for November 18 — is before free agency. If the Raptors get the sense that VanVleet is looking to sign elsewhere they could try to use their first round pick on a guard.
Toronto has already had pre-draft conversations with Stanford's Tyrell Terry and Arkansas' Isaiah Joe, two guards who can space the floor with terrific 3-point shooting skills. If they're looking for someone more physical, someone like Texas Tech's Jahmi’us Ramsey, a 6-foot-4 guard who averaged 15 points per game last season could make sense for Toronto.
3. Hit the Trade Market
Just as the Raptors have to be careful about overpaying VanVleet and inhibiting their ability to make a max contract offer in 2021, Toronto has to be careful not to take back any money in a trade that could impact their chances of landing Antetokounmpo down the road. That's why the possibility of trading for Victor Oladipo should be intriguing for Toronto.
The Indiana Pacers' 28-year-old guard is coming off two injury-plagued seasons and hasn't looked like the star he was in 2017-18 when he averaged 23 points per game on 47.7% shooting. There have been numerous reports suggesting the Pacers will try to shop Oladipo this offseason and Toronto would make an interesting trade partner considering Oladipo's contract situation. If VanVleet leaves in free agency, the Raptors would be wise to inquire about Oladpio, potentially flipping Powell in the process to alleviate any concern that Powell will opt-in to his $11.6 million player option for 2021.
Not only would Oladipo be a high-upside risk worth taking for one season, but it would allow Toronto to acquire $21 million of expiring money ahead of the 2021 offseason.
