Raptors Champion Receives Major Update on NBA Future
Raptors Champion Receives Major Update on NBA Future originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 NBA Finals are set to begin on June 5, but there are plenty of teams around the league who are already shifting their focus to the offseason. This includes the Houston Rockets, who may have some major decisions to make this summer.
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One player in Houston to keep an eye on is Fred VanVleet. The former Toronto Raptors champion has a $44.9 million team option that the Rockets must make a decision on this year. If they decline, he will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
While nothing is official, there was a recent update regarding VanVleet's contract status that will have a big impact on his NBA future.
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23), guard Kyle Lowry (7), forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and center Serge Ibaka (9)© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
VanVleet signed with the Rockets as a free agent in 2023 after seven years in Toronto. Despite coming off his worst statistical season in a few years, it seems that the Illinois native is going to stick around for another season.
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According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (subscription required), the Rockets will likely bring VanVleet back in the offseason. Iko suggests that they could do so by either picking up his team option or negotiating a new contract at a lower salary.
"Houston is expected to bring guard Fred VanVleet back, according to both team and league sources, either by picking up his $44.9 million team option for the 2025-26 season or negotiating a new deal at a lower, team-friendly salary," Iko wrote."The likelihood VanVleet plays for a different team next season is slim, those sources said."
VanVleet has started every game of his Rockets career so far and played a big role in their recent playoff appearance. However, most would know him best for his time with the Raptors, where he helped the team win their first-ever NBA Championship and was an All-Star.
The 31-year-old provides a lot of value to Houston, and it could make sense for them to keep him around in the offseason. Regardless, this will be a situation worth monitoring until something becomes official.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
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