Getty Image / Andrew Lahodynskyj
On a banner day for NBA players getting paid copious amounts of money, Fred VanVleet made out as well as anyone. The former Toronto Raptors guard is now a member of the Houston Rockets after signing a monster deal.
Free agent G Fred VanVleet has agreed on a three-year, $130 million contract with the Houston Rockets, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul and agent Erika Ruiz tell ESPN. Rockets land ex-Raptors All-Star in his prime at 29 years old. pic.twitter.com/B6WwPmLYq1
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
That’s quite the payday for a guy who was in the G-League just six years ago, But, the former NBA Champion has emerged as a bona fide good option for a starting point guard in the league. He has averaged around 19 points and 6.5 rebounds the last three seasons as his role has increased in Toronto. And, at 29 years old, with less than 500 games played, he seems to have a lot of good basketball left to play.
This is a big move to potentially accelerate the rebuild for the Houston Rockets. The team has some really promising young pieces like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengün and newly-drafted Amen Thompson. That’s quite the young core, and with the Western Conference quickly aging, they could be very good very quickly.
Back to the contract, though. That will pay him an average of $43.3 million over the next three years. That’s Patrick Mahomes-type money for a very good, but not elite, player. It’s a great time to be an NBA player hitting free agency.