We are less than two weeks away from the trade deadline and the Toronto Raptors remain the most interesting team ahead of it. They are five games below .500 and have just begun a seven-game road trip that ends four days before the trade deadline. By then, the Raptors will know what direction they want to go in depending on the results.
If they continue to spiral and decide to trade some of their best players, Fred VanVleet has emerged as a major candidate to get moved. The 6-foot-1 guard is having a down-shooting season but is in the middle of a hot stretch right now. He has a $22.8 million player option for next season which he is expected to decline and enter free agency. He is eligible to extend for up to four years, $114.2 million but could earn more as a free agent. His impending free agency status and the impracticality for the Raptors to pay all their best players are pressing his trade candidacy.
Below are five teams that would be good fits for VanVleet and have enough assets to make a strong offer.
Phoenix Suns
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VanVleet has been linked to Phoenix as a potential successor at point guard for Chris Paul. The Suns are set to be capped out for the foreseeable future, so if they want to acquire a guard like VanVleet, it’ll have to be via trade. They only need to send out $16.9 million to match salaries for him so they can get there with a combination of expiring contracts like Jae Crowder, Dario Saric, and Torrey Craig. They also can offer multiple future first-round picks to get a deal done.
While VanVleet would be the point guard of the future he could still play alongside Paul. He is no stranger to playing with other starting point guards after his success playing next to Kyle Lowry in Toronto. This could give the Suns the option of playing smaller for certain matchups. If the Suns want to avoid having both guards, they could look to trade Paul now, which could open up bigger trade possibilities. For example, sending out Paul’s $28.3 million with one of their expiring contracts could be enough to take back VanVleet and another player like OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr.
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