VanVleet getting rich trying
Backup point guard was a team priority this off-season because of his work ethic
Among the half dozen or so kids sprinkled throughout the Maple Leaf Sports Launchpad on Friday were probably one or two who dream of someday making it big in basketball.
There are extraordinarily long odds against that ever happening but not 10 metres away sat living proof that chasing one’s dreams — no matter how farfetched they may be — is a pursuit worth taking, that a belief in oneself can create improbable story lines.
The occasion was the official announcement of Fred VanVleet’s new two-year, $18-million (all figures U.S.) contract with the Toronto Raptors and the lesson for the assembled to take away was that dogged perseverance can pay off.
The VanVleet story is familiar to any- one who has followed the Raptors in recent years. Undrafted out of Wichita State, VanVleet finally got a chance to prove himself as a backup point guard on Toronto’s summer league team in 2016. He wasn’t the biggest nor the quickest nor the most sought-after player but through dint of hard work he got a training camp invite that fall.
In two seasons VanVleet made himself into a Raptors regular, a tight-game finisher known for an unwavering work ethic who has the respect of his coaches, teammates, fans and opponents. He now has incredible riches too.
That cash — about $1.3 million last season, about $8.8 million now — is simply a byproduct.
“I never really put a contract as any of my goals,” he said. “Obviously that’s an underlying motivation to be able to take care of your family. Luckily we play this game or whatever to be able to make this money. But it’s more so about my competitive drive for the game, my love for the game and keep continuing to strive forward. Just being an important, integral part of a team was one of my goals. If you do those things right, a contract comes with it.”
No wonder everyone loves the 24- year-old. And no wonder the Raptors made him the No. 1 summer priority.
“Going though this process, two things that kept coming up to us was his just absolute desire to win and his ability to continually improve himself and that comes from within and is something that makes him really special,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said. “I think off the court he has outstanding character and he has an unending dedication to where he comes from and I think that’s why it’s so cool that he’s able to do this in front of a bunch of kids that probably look up to him and hopefully can embody the work he’s done.
“For all you kids out there, as Fred says and you know, don’t be afraid to bet on yourself.”
Getting VanVleet back in the fold and quickly — the deal was consummated in the first few hours of NBA free agency — was the priority for Webster and Raptors president Masai Ujiri.
It also ran counter to prevailing NBA actions this summer, when many of the top restricted free agents like VanVleet are still seeking new contracts. With salary cap space at a minimum leaguewide, teams aren’t willing to either bid against themselves for their own free agents or tie up money with offer sheets from other teams.
Webster and Ujiri were decisive, however, and got VanVleet on what has to be seen as a win-win contract. VanVleet now has two more years as well-paid backup to prove himself as eventually an NBA starter, the Raptors have two seasons with basically the same roster intact to take a run at an NBA championship.
The terms of the deal — years and money — are simply logical.
“There’s always a balance, kind of a scale of length and (salary),” Webster said. “Last year when we re-signed Kyle (Lowry) and Serge (Ibaka) we said, ‘Listen, we’ve got every- body on a similar plan.’ I think that made the most sense for us right now.”
Re-signing VanVleet pushes the Raptors payroll at the moment to more than $136 million, by far the greatest in franchise history, third among 30 NBA teams and far over the $123 million luxury tax threshold.
But Webster said it won’t preclude the team from making more moves if they are sensible and, with the final tax bill not set until the end of the coming season, there is time to make financial moves.
Webster said he expects a dead trade market to heat up at least a little bit with every team re- presented at the summer league in Las Vegas but, realistically, the Raptors have the full 10-man rotation from a team that won 59 games a season ago and finding upgrades isn’t going to be easy. Or, perhaps, even necessary.
“It’s a good problem for coach (Nick) Nurse to have,” the general manager said. “As we discuss things internally, I think that’s the limitation — where are the minutes?”
None of the minutes will be ceded by VanVleet, who was used in every crucial late-game situation last season, often alongside Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.
It was just a continuation of a wonderful career arc by the native of Rockford, Ill.
As those kids watched him Friday afternoon, heard him talk about believing in yourself and listened to others laud the power of his personality and inner drive, the value of hard work and inner strength had to hit home.
“Two years ago around this time, he’s essentially the backup point guard on our summer league team,” Webster said. “Really every step along the way he’s made a jump, whether it’s first training camp, first season with the G-League, last year in summer, training camp. It would be naive of us to put a ceiling on him.”