Toronto Raptors: 3 reasons re-signing Fred VanVleet is a good move

The Toronto Raptors were smart to bring back Fred VanVleet, a guy who’s proven himself to be one of the more productive players off the bench in the league.

Fred VanVleet‘s rise to prominence is one of the better NBA stories of the decade.

An undrafted point guard out of Wichita State, VanVleet signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Raptors in the summer of 2016.

After bouncing from Toronto’s G League team — where he helped the Raptors 905 win the title with averages of 16.9 points and 7.6 assists per game — and the actual Raptors squad, VanVleet earned a role as the sixth man for Toronto this past season.

Like he did in the G League, VanVleet thrived for the Raptors, helping the team to 59 wins and the No. 1 seed in the conference, finishing third in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year award along the way.

To reward his hard work, Toronto agreed with its bench leader on a two-year deal worth $18 million. For a Raptors squad still looking to compete after the departure of the Coach of the Year, Dwane Casey, bringing back VanVleet was a smart decision for Toronto.

VanVleet has clearly proven himself to be a hard-working talent who won’t let the fame and money affect his drive. That will come in handy as Toronto looks to regroup after a disappointing end to its 2017-18 season.