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- Tyler Herro: ‘I feel I like I’m an All-Star caliber player’
- Jimmy Butler on Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo: ‘We’re all going to end up winning a championship together’
- Bam Adebayo reveals he didn’t recruit Donovan Mitchell to Miami Heat
- Former NBA executive says Bam Adebayo’s defense has not been as ‘fearsome’ this season as it was in previous 2 campaigns
- Report: Omer Yurtseven cleared for high-impact work with hope to return after All-Star break
- Brian Windhorst thinks the Miami Heat need to make a trade because they have ‘one of the worst benches in the league’
- Report: Teams continue to call Miami Heat to gauge Kyle Lowry’s trade status
- Jimmy Butler makes heartfelt post for kid who traveled far to see him play: ‘Incredible kid that has an amazing life ahead of him’
- Kyle Lowry speaks out on trade rumors involving him and complaints from Miami Heat fans about his scoring
Report: Fred VanVleet looking for contract similar to that of Tyler Herro on open market
- Updated: January 8, 2023
Toronto Raptors star guard Fred VanVleet reportedly is looking for a contract similar to the one that Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro signed in October.
VanVleet could opt out of his player option for the 2023-24 season and hit the open market this coming offseason. The Raptors will have to make a big decision regarding VanVleet’s future, especially since the team could lose him for nothing in free agency if he signs with another team.
“In terms of what VanVleet will be looking for on the open market, the four-year, $130 million deal that Tyler Herro got last fall is expected to be the baseline,” TSN’s Josh Lewenberg wrote. “Officially, the Raptors don’t have to decide whether they’re going to be the team that gives it to him until July. Essentially, though, they’ve got to make that decision over the next five weeks, ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, or they risk losing him for nothing.”
Herro, 22, received a major extension from Miami before the regular season started after winning the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
VanVleet has been a key player for the Raptors for several seasons now, and he’s become the No. 1 guard on the team since Kyle Lowry was dealt to Miami in a sign-and-trade deal ahead of the 2021-22 regular season.
A one-time All-Star, VanVleet turns 29 during the 2022-23 season. The Raptors have to decide whether or not they are willing to stick with him for the long haul, especially since they have gotten out to a slow start this season.
Toronto is just 16-23 and holds the No. 12 spot in the Eastern Conference.
VanVleet has struggled with efficiency in the 2022-23 campaign, shooting just 37.7 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from beyond the arc. He’s putting up the worst field-goal percentage since his rookie season and 3-point percentage of his NBA career.
Still, the point guard is averaging 18.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. There’s no doubt that he can be an effective player for Toronto moving forward, but the team may want a bit of a reset given this season’s struggles.
If that is the case, the Raptors could look to move VanVleet at the trade deadline or hope to find a sign-and-trade deal for him in the offseason.
The Raptors have several pieces, including O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, who could become available if the team decides to go into a bit of a rebuilding phase.
It will be interesting to see how VanVleet’s market shapes up this coming offseason if he does opt out of his deal.
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