League sources believe Fred VanVleet will not be pursued by the New York Knicks and will instead re-sign with the Toronto Raptors.
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The 2020 free agency class isn’t nearly as talented or as deep as the 2019 free agency class. With this being said, Fred VanVleet is perhaps the best point guard available in the market in the 2020 offseason.
The New York Knicks have been linked to multiple stars around the league this offseason. Russell Westbrook and Gordon Hayward are a few names that come up quite frequently.
Fred VanVleet is another guard the Knicks have been in talks of acquiring for quite some time now. It was reported that once free agency hit, the Knicks would pursue VanVleet.
However, the New York Post is reporting a change of heart on the Knicks’ end of this rumor.
The New York Knicks do not intend to pursue Fred VanVleet .
The Knicks are in desperate need of a solid point guard. Frank Ntilikina hasn’t shown any sign of improvement on the offensive end of the floor. Dennis Smith Jr. has fallen out of the Knicks rotation entirely.
Now, with the ability to lure VanVleet to their team, the Knicks have reportedly lost interest in pursuing him.
The New York Post article reads, “Fred VanVleet will probably re-sign with the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks would rather not be used by VanVleet to get a better offer from the Raptors.”
The Knicks are essentially trying to avoid a bidding war with the Raptors, as they prefer to not give VanVleet anything close to a max contract.
Will VanVleet stay with the Raptors?
VanVleet has built up a great relationship with the Raptors front office, along with great chemistry with his teammates.
He finished 2nd in voting for the 2019 Finals MVP so he knows the Raptors organization sees his value more than any other franchise.
Expect Fred to stay up North for a couple more seasons, granted they pay him well. After all , VanVleet has been waiting to “cash out”.
