Sunday, February 9, 2025
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Raptors losing VanVleet to Houston Rockets, per Report

Whatever last-ditch attempt the Toronto Raptors had hoped would sway the 29-year-old point guard in their final meeting with VanVleet and his representatives appears to have been in vain. The former All-Star will reportedly sign a three-year, $130 million contract to join the Rockets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This was the worst-case scenario for the Raptors this summer.

Raptors losing VanVleet to Houston Rockets, per Report

Raptors Negotiations

The organization had long believed they could re-sign VanVleet in free agency. Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said the team would “100 percent” do everything they could to keep VanVleet in Toronto, he told TSN 1050 earlier this month.

And yet, the Rockets and their $60-plus million in cap space proved too much for Toronto. Houston made a Godfather offer and the Raptors’ decided they couldn’t match.

VanVleet is just the latest member of the 2019 championship team to depart Toronto without the Raptors receiving any compensation.

Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green both left following the championship. Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka both signed in Los Angeles with the Lakers and Clippers, respectively, the following year. In all four cases, there wasn’t much Toronto could have done, and letting Gasol and Ibaka go proved wise.

Contract Negotiations

With VanVleet, though, the situation is different. By all accounts, Toronto did receive offers for VanVleet at the trade deadline. The Raptors, however, opted not to sell their soon-to-be free agent, thinking at worst they’d be able to work out a sign-and-trade should he decide to leave for a contender elsewhere.

It was the wrong decision.

Unlike in 2019 and 2020 when Toronto had championship-contending squads and trading any of their key free agents would have been foolish, the Raptors this season failed to make the post-season, finishing the year 41-41 and bowing out in embarrassing fashion to the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament.

Toronto is left with a glaring hole in the backcourt and no apparent means to replace VanVleet. Malachi Flynn is the lone point guard currently under contract and he was in and out of the rotation all season. Jeff Dowtin Jr. is expected to be back, but the Raptors didn’t feel he was important enough to make him eligible for the playoffs last year.