Fred VanVleet is expected to be one of the top free agents available this offseason and the Toronto Raptors have their work cut out for them to re-sign him. Rumors have connected VanVleet to both the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, but Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse has other ideas.
In a quote shared by Steven Loung of SportsNet, Nurse said that he would be “pretty surprised” if VanVleet does not return to the Raptors.
This is a bit of a surprise, as many expected the Raptors to lose him. That obviously could end up happening, but it seems as if VanVleet would like to stick around after a successful past couple of seasons.
During the 2019-20 NBA season with the Raptors, VanVleet put together a career year. He averaged 17.6 points per game to go along with 6.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds. VanVleet also chipped in 1.9 steals per game.
On the season, VanVleet ended up shooting 41.3 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 39 percent of his three-point attempts.
At just 26 years old, VanVleet will be an attractive option for any team that chooses to pursue him. He can shoot lights out, knows how to run an offense, and puts in a ton of effort defensively. VanVleet may not be a “star” yet, but he is trending in that direction.
It will be interesting to see if the Raptors are able to keep VanVleet in town. He is a perfect back-court running back alongside Kyle Lowry and losing him would be a massive blow.
Expect to hear quite a few more rumors surrounding Fred VanVleet as the free agency period draws closer. He will be a name to watch, but Nick Nurse seems pretty confident that he will be back with the Raptors.
