Offseason moves for the New Orleans Pelicans: Building a contender around Zion Williamson
ProFitX Trade Tracker: Fred VanVleet
Nick Crain | 2/4/23
The Toronto Raptors just haven’t lived up to expectations this season, sitting well under .500 as we approach the trade deadline. As such, they could be sellers over the next week. One player to keep an eye on is Fred VanVleet, who is one of the most impactful guards in the league but could be on the move. As important as he is to the Raptors, they may have to reconsider their future plans. Based on his on-court production value this season VanVleet is worth more than $30 million. This is something to keep in mind for teams who attempt to trade for him, as they’ll also have to give him a new contract this summer to retain him long-term.
Something else that must be considered is that he’s also a potential rental. VanVleet has a player option for next season, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent if he were to decline that option, which he is expected to do. That makes trade packages extremely complicated, as teams have to look beyond just what he’s worth in a vacuum.
With that in mind, let’s use ProFitX’s trade model to identify three trade packages that could make sense as a starting point for the veteran guard, draft compensation aside.
Clippers Solve Point Guard Problem
The point guard by committee approach hasn’t worked all that well for the Clippers this season. Luckily for them, there’s quite a few quality veteran lead guards on the trade market. If VanVleet is the guy they want, it will take a solid package of assets, but would be worth it given the window with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is only shrinking.
Sixers Go All-In
This seems like a year in which the Sixers could really go win a championship. As good as the roster is as currently constructed, the deadline is the last real chance to make those final improvements. It’s risky to give up bench depth, but with how short playoff rotations are, it’s worth it if you can land a proven postseason performer.
Suns Add Chris Paul Insurance
Although Chris Paul is having an inconsistent season, he’s still part of the Suns’ plans moving forward. However, given his age it would make sense to have guard depth on the roster if there were to be an injury. Even if he is healthy, VanVleet could slot into the starting lineup or as a catalyst off the bench to turn Phoenix’s season around.