Fred VanVleet Comments on Contract Negotiations With the Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are going into the season hopeful they have made the necessary additions and changes to compete in the East. The 2019 NBA champions have found themselves struggling to get into the Conference Finals since the departure of Kawhi Leonard. However, All-Star Fred VanVleet is hoping to change that, and during the Raptors media day, he spoke about his future on the team.

VanVleet was an integral part of the championship season coming off the bench. He took over the point guard position after Kyle Lowry was dealt to the Miami Heat. Last season, he appeared in his first All-Star game while averaging 20 points and nearly 7 assists a game. Clearly, he is an important piece of the franchise for the Raptors moving forward and fans are wondering if he is part of the long-term plans for the team.

The soon-to-be seven-year veteran spoke about his contract negotiations, and it is safe to say that he might be staying put. VanVleet pointed out that "he loves being a Raptor," and that he is "happy" where he is. He also added that he has a "great relationship with management, ownership and coaching staff."

Fred VanVleet discusses his ongoing contract negotiations with the Toronto #Raptors

"I have a great relationship with management, ownership, coaching staff. There's nothing I can really ever complain about being on this team." 😍#NBAMediaDay #WeTheNorth #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/njwqLmL7xk
— BasketballBuzz.ca 🇨🇦🏀🍁 (@basketballbuzz) September 26, 2022

Although he pointed out that he will not speak about contract extensions until it is time for that, there is growing optimism that he will be with the team moving forward. The Raptors have a great core of young players and veteran leadership, and VanVleet has shown signs of that. He is continuously working on his game and helping out young guards like Malachi Flynn.

Raptors fans might be anxious to hear what VanVleet will do in the future, especially considering the team had to deal with Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry among other former players who left after the championship season. OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher, Pascal Siakam and VanVleet are the last remaining players from the 2018-2019 championship run, and the 28-year-old starting point guard is showing signs he will remain with the team.