What on earth?
After opting out of his deal with the Toronto Raptors, free agent point guard Fred VanVleet has signed a whopping three-year, $130 million contract with the Houston Rockets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN — who reportedly got this information from Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Erika Ruiz.
The deal marks the end of VanVleet’s time in Toronto, where he spent all seven seasons of his NBA career and was named an All-Star in 2022.
The Rockets landed VanVleet after giving out the first max contract of the league’s free agency period, with the $130 million contract being the biggest for any undrafted player in the history of the NBA.
Having a player option worth $22.8 million with the Raptors to take him into the 2023-24 campaign, VanVleet turned it down to become a free agent. Last season, the star point guard averaged a stat line of 19.3 points, 7.2 assists and 1.8 steals.
Free agent G Fred VanVleet has agreed on a three-year, $130 million contract with the Houston Rockets, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul and agent Erika Ruiz tell ESPN. Rockets land ex-Raptors All-Star in his prime at 29 years old. pic.twitter.com/B6WwPmLYq1
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
Man, this irritates me as a Miami Heat fan.
I’m seeing somebody like VanVleet (who is a good player, but not deserving of this) get a contract of roughly $43.3 million per year. We already saw the Phoenix Suns form a Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, we saw the Dallas Mavericks drop a stack of cash on Kyrie Irving today. And what have my Heat done? Sign Josh Richardson?
Don’t get me wrong, I love Josh (and Kevin Love at that), but man, it’s frustrating to see us not land a big fish. I want to think we’re holding out for Damian Lillard, but the more we progress into free agency, the more I think Micky Arison is just being cheap — like how we just lost Gabe Vincent to the Los Angeles Lakers because we wanted to try to lowball him (though Gabe is a bit of an idiot for going to Los Angeles with California taxes, he doesn’t make much more than what Miami offered).
“Oh, the numbers don’t work.” (RELATED: REPORT: James Harden Opts In To Current Deal, Will Work With 76ers To Be Traded)
Meanwhile, the Suns have already built a superteam and now the Los Angeles Clippers are trying to do the same with a potential James Harden signing. What a joke, man.
I’m just gonna say it until they prove me wrong…
Pat Riley is washed and Micky Arison is cheap, and that’s all there is to it. Change my mind.