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The Toronto Raptors just finished a disappointing season that saw them win just 41 regular season games and lose their play-in tournament game to the Chicago Bulls despite leading by double-digits.
Now, they are perhaps likely to lose one of their key contributors.
Starting point guard Fred VanVleet has reportedly declined his player option for next season, which will make him a free agent this summer.
Fred Van Vleet is declining his $22.8M player option and will become an unrestricted free agent, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/lncJj81e1K
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 12, 2023
This fan feels it is the end of the Raptors being a competitive team.
RIP the Raptors
— HBA (@HBAcrypto) June 12, 2023
VanVleet is one of Toronto’s links to their 2019 championship team, and that team is starting to seem like a distant memory now with what has transpired over the last few years.
Since 2019, they have made the playoffs only twice and have gotten past the first round only once.
Since that championship season, VanVleet has emerged as a star player, and he made his first All-Star team last season.
Several fans on Twitter are hoping he will join their favorite teams.
He’s definitely going to the Lakers
— GameBlazers (@PlayGameBlazers) June 12, 2023
PLEASE @celtics
— gmbt (@gambitties) June 12, 2023
But this one thinks VanVleet actually isn’t going anywhere.
This was expected. He will end up resigning with the #Raptors on a long term deal. This isn’t news worthy.
— THE PREMIUM (@gamblers_dream) June 12, 2023
The guard averaged a career-high 7.2 assists a game this season, and he was also third in steals at 1.8 per game.
The knock on him is his shooting efficiency — he shot just 39.3 percent from the field this season and has made only 40.2 percent of his shots throughout his career.
Although VanVleet is a good defender, at just six-feet tall he can get exposed on that end of the floor.
Still, he could be a nice pickup for the right team if he is indeed leaving Canada.
The post Fans React To Today’s Fred VanVleet News appeared first on The Cold Wire.