Fred Van Vleet came in third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting for last season. While his counting stats were not mind-blowing — 8.6 points and 3.2 assists per game — he was the high-energy face of the best second unit in the league in Toronto. He was an essential part of their identity.
And he’ll be back, something broken by Shams Charania of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports.
Restricted free agent Fred VanVleet has agreed to a two-year, $18 million deal to return to Toronto, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2018
That’s a good deal for both sides, it’s right around the league average salary, one that brings a fan favorite back to Toronto. For VanVleet, who has been in the league two years on a minimum salary, this is his first real payday.
This does come with a price tag for the Raptors, however.
VanVleet deal (who's down with FVV?) brings Raps to about $136.5M in 18-19 salary -- $13M-ish over the tax.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 1, 2018
