Nurse Confident VanVleet Will Return to Toronto

Raptors coach Nick Nurse tells Sportsnet he'd be surprised if Fred VanVleet isn't back in Toronto next season

In Fred VanVleet's four seasons in the NBA, he's gone from an undrafted rookie and G-Leaguer to a role player on a championship team to a bonafide NBA starter and a contributor on a title contender.

It's been an incredible run for the Toronto Raptors' 26-year-old guard who took his game to another level this year, moving into the Raptors starting rotation and averaging 17.6 points per game. Now, as his two-year, $18 million contract comes to an end, it's time for VanVleet to hit the open market and get paid.

"He’s big-time. Freddy’s big-time," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "I think he had a tremendous season, just in general. I think he came back from last year’s NBA Finals a totally different guy, just a level up."

VanVleet will certainly be one of, if not the most coveted free agent on the market this season. He's coming off a career year in what is expected to be a down year in free agency with teams saving cap space for 2021 and shedding salary due to the financial losses of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That's not lost on VanVleet, who said in April that he has considered taking a short-term deal with the hopes of resetting his market after the pandemic when teams have more cap space. That being said, a long-term deal still remains VanVleet's priority.

"I'm a free agent, so I think about it every day," VanVleet said following the Raptors Game 7 loss to the Celtics. "I'll wait and see how free agency plays out, but at the end of the day, I'm not writing a check to myself, so I've just gotta wait and see what happens, and I'll feel better about the year that I had."

If VanVleet's market is robust — and it's expected to be with the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, and Detroit Pistons all reportedly interested in acquiring him — the Raptors could find themselves with some issues as they try to retain him while maintaining cap space for 2021 and potentially signing reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"Fred is a priority," said Raptors president Masai Ujiri, adding that the team wants to re-sign VanVleet, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka while keeping an eye on 2021.

If VanVleet's market balloons much bigger than $20 million a year, Toronto could run into problems balancing the books, especially if one or both of Gasol and Ibaka are back. Yet even with some financial obstacles, Nurse told Sportsnet's Tim and Sid that he thinks VanVleet will be back next year. 

"I'd be pretty surprised [if VanVleet leaves], yeah, I'd be pretty surprised," Nurse said. "You just never know where things come out of left field some times, but listen, we love him, I love him, I think that he's a special player, there's something special about this guy and there's not that many special players walking around and when you've got one I think you've got to do everything you can to keep him."

"I guess you just never know on the business side of things what happens, but I'd be pretty surprised if he wasn't [back]."

"I'd be pretty surprised - I think he's a special player."

Nick Nurse joined @timandsid to talk about his contract extension, Fred VanVleet's future, and where he feels the Raptors fell short in the playoffs.

Watch the full interview here ➡️ https://t.co/8UkXHnZViR pic.twitter.com/VxuqVdxh8T

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 24, 2020

With Kyle Lowry entering the final year of his contract and his age 35 season, VanVleet is a player the Raptors cannot afford to lose.