Fred VanVleet has accomplished everything the Toronto Raptors have asked from him and more. He closed Finals games for them against the Warriors, including a Game 6 fourth quarter where he made three big threes to clinch the 2019 title. With Kawhi Leonard departing and no immediate replacement, the 6-foot-1 guard took a big chunk of those minutes, was a huge part in leading the Raptors to a second-round run and elevated his status to a quasi-All Star.
The 26-year-old has accomplished all this while earning $19.5 million in his four seasons in Toronto. Not bad for an undrafted rookie. After earning the minimum in his first two seasons, the Raptors re-signed him to the maximum amount his early Bird rights allowed him to receive. Now the Raptors hold his full Bird rights and he is eligible to earn up to the maximum salary. There is a very strong chance his average starting salary exceeds his $19.5 million career earnings total.
So which teams had a chance of landing his services?