Phoenix Suns: 5 potential free agency targets in 2018
3. Fred VanVleet
According to ESPN‘s Zach Lowe, Fred VanVleet is “a name to watch,” and he was suggested as a possible target by the Arizona Republic‘s Scott Bordow as well. It makes sense; the Suns should be on the lookout for young bench point guards who could be ready to start and may not be retained by salary cap-strapped teams.
However, even with VanVleet’s rapid rise to prominence as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in just his second season, he seems like a poor man’s Terry Rozier at this point. He thrived in a bench role for one of the league’s best teams, but might struggle in the spotlight as a starting point guard.
The good news is the 24-year-old VanVleet would be one of the cheaper options on this list, and with the Toronto Raptors already pushed up against the luxury tax, it’s possible they’ll be forced to let him go, even if they want to retain one of the NBA’s leading Sixth Man of the Year candidates.
Raps can match any offer VanVleet gets & retaining him is a top priority, I'm told. Teams can't offer more than ~$8.5M in yrs 1 & 2 (Raps included) but if somebody backloads a 4yr offer sheet Toronto will have a tough decision to make, given its tax crunch. How much is too much?
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) June 30, 2018
If that’s the case, he’s worth a look, even if he wouldn’t stand head and shoulders above the team’s in-house options of Brandon Knight, Elie Okobo or Tyler Ulis.