It was reported on Monday that Fred VanVleet, one of the prominent members of the 2019 championship Raptors squad, declined his player option that would have paid $22.8 million. As such, he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July.

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Raptors’ Fred VanVleet to Test Free Agency

The offseason of change and challenges continues for Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors. It was revealed over the weekend that they had found a new head coach, Darko Rajakovic, formerly a Grizzlies assistant. Now, it appears the equally delicate practice of signing new deals with their best players is kicking into high gear, and all the trials and tribulations that come along with it.

VanVleet had a player option for $22.8 million, a handsome sum, but has chosen to test the free agency waters instead. There is no question that he’s one of the best and most important players the Toronto Raptors have on their roster, so it’s understandable that he’d want to discover what his value is on the market. He may also believe he sees the writing on the wall. The last couple of seasons, and especially this past one, haven’t been nearly as successful for the Raptors. The championship run of 2019 is starting to feel like a while ago.

The guard consistently puts in strong numbers that should pique the interest of more than a few clubs. He’s never averaged fewer than 19.3 per tilt in any of the past three seasons. He also ranked fifth in the NBA in 2022-2023 for steals, with 1.8 a contest. Furthermore, he had his best year for assists, averaging 7.2 every game. Even in the three previous campaigns, he averaged well over 6 per match.