Now that Chris Paul has been traded to the Phoenix Suns, the New York Knicks could turn their attention to Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet, who becomes an unrestricted free agent once the 2020 free agency period begins.
The Knicks are in desperate need of a starting-caliber point guard and VanVleet certainly fits that bill. He averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 assists per game in 2019-20.
However, according to Ian Begley of SNY, teams surveying the VanVleet market believe that the Knicks would be “hesitant to overpay” the guard on a four-year contract in free agency.
If the Knicks decide to pursue a guard in free agency, the top one on the market is Fred VanVleet. With Paul in Phoenix, that eliminates one potential suitor for VanVleet. Will the Knicks pursue VanVleet? Teams surveying the VanVleet market believe that New York would have interest in VanVleet but would be hesitant to overpay the guard on a four-year contract. Reading between the lines, it means those teams expect VanVleet to end up back in Toronto.
VanVleet recently told New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard J.J. Redick on the “Old Man & The Three” podcast that he's looking to get paid in free agency. While the Knicks do need a floor general, it might not be in their best interest to overpay for VanFleet, who is a good player but not an All-Star.
All signs point toward the Raptors re-signing VanVleet since they were the franchise that developed him and gave the Rockford, Illinois his first chance in the NBA.
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