VanVleet staying with Raptors, Hayward to Hornets

Fred VanVleet bet himself. It paid off.

Gordon Hayward, meanwhile, is heading to a new home.

VanVleet agreed Saturday to a four-year, $85 million contract to remain with the Toronto Raptors, a person with direct knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract remains unsigned. The fourth year of the contract is at VanVleet’s option.

The Charlotte Hornets have wanted Hayward for years. On Saturday, they finally landed him, according to Priority Sports, the on agency that represents the veteran forward. A person with knowledge of the terms, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been signed, told the AP that Hayward will sign a four-year contract worth $120 million. ESPN first reported the agreement between Hayward and the Hornets.

VanVleet, the undrafted guard from Wichita State, has played a huge role in the Raptors’ recent successes, most importantly their run to the 2019 NBA championship. He has set career bests in scoring by wide margins in each of the last three seasons, that number rising to 17.6 points per game this past season.

Free agency opened in the NBA on Friday evening and VanVleet was one of the top available names. The Lakers’ Anthony Davis remains unsigned though is expected to remain with the defending champions, and Hayward’s future was another of the top questions remaining in the league as Day 2 of free agency began Saturday.

It was not a question for long.

Hayward turned down a $34 million option for this season with Boston, and the Celtics were in talks with other teams — including Indiana, which was believed to be a preference of Hayward’s — on potential signand-trade deals.

Instead, it appears the

Celtics are seeing Hayward walk away as a free agent.

Hayward agreed to a four-year offer sheet worth about $63 million with the Hornets in 2014, a deal that was matched by the Utah Jazz — Hayward’s original team. Hayward left the Jazz for Boston in 2017, saw his first season with the Celtics end on opening night of the 2017-18 season when he suffered a horrible lower leg injury, then averaged 14.0 points per game over the following two seasons.

In other matters Saturday:

ATLANTA

Guard Rajo Rondo agreed later Saturday to a two-year deal with the Hawks, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told AP.

Rondo became the latest addition in a busy two days of movement for Atlanta. The Hawks agreed with guard Kris Dunn earlier Saturday on a two-year contract worth $10 million, a second person told AP. And Atlanta also agreed Friday with Danilo Gallinari on a three-year contract.

DENVER

Paul Millsap is staying with the Nuggets on a oneyear deal that will be worth around $10 million, a person with knowledge told AP. The news of the forward’s decision was first reported by The Athletic and The Denver Post.

MIAMI

The Heat agreed to a twoyear deal starting at $5.9 million for this season with top defensive guard Avery Bradley, agent Charles Briscoe said.

Bradley has averaged 11.8 points in his career. He spent last season with the Lakers but did not accompany them to the NBA restart bubble at Walt Disney World. He averaged 8.6 points in 49 games, mostly starts, for the Lakers last season.

The second year of that deal is at the Heat option , just like the deals they struck Friday with returnees Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard. That protects Miami’s spending flexibility for the summer of 2021.