Fred VanVleet’s time is over in Toronto.
In the 2022-23 season, VanVleet was the 21st highest paid point guard per AAV (Average Annual Value), and 36th highest paid guard overall. Now? He’s one of the top-5 highest paid guards in the NBA.
VanVleet is now being paid like an All-Star, if not All-NBA level guard. There are 17 guards currently sitting between 36M and 24M per year. Six of those guards have been All-Stars, but that list includes Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons, Chris Paul and none of those players are ever sniffing that status again. 25-percent of the 16 is made up of the recently extended combo guards – Jordan Poole (32M), Tyler Herro (30M), RJ Barrett (26M), Anfernee Simons (25M). There’s expected development curves with those players, of course. Players like CJ McCollum (32M) and Terry Rozier (24M) operate on the lower end of impact, and Donovan Mitchell (incredibly team friendly contract), De’Aaron Fox (incredibly team friendly contract) and Jrue Holiday on the very high end.
He leaves Toronto as a champion, a Finals MVP vote-getter, and the franchise record holder for points and assists in a game.
Farewell, Fred.
