Fred VanVleet opens up on Raptors' deadline and his legacy in Canada
Leading up to this year’s NBA trade deadline, there was no shortage of rumours surrounding Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet.
With the option of VanVleet to hit free agency this summer, there was quite a bit of discussion about whether the 28-year-old would remain with the only NBA franchise he’s ever known — or be shipped out to a new destination.
But Thursday’s deadline came and passed, with VanVleet sticking around in Toronto, as did, well, nearly all of his teammates.
Toronto made one move on Thursday: sending Khem Birch and a trio of draft picks to San Antonio in exchange for centre Jakob Poeltl, a former 2016 first-round draft pick of the Raptors.
“Hopefully he’ll be key for us and somebody we can plug right in. He’ll be familiar with a lot of things that we do and he’s one of the best young bigs in the league,” VanVleet said in an interview with Daily Hive about the trade for Poeltl.
Diehard Raptors fans have probably seen a clip of a speech VanVleet at his own draft party back in 2016, where he ultimately went undrafted.
“My story don’t end here,” VanVleet said to the crowd in attendance. “It’s just the beginning.”
Soon after, he’d be joining Toronto for NBA Summer League before eventually inking himself an NBA rookie deal.
And the rest is history: VanVleet was a key piece of Toronto’s NBA championship in 2019, before being named to his first All-Star game in 2022.
“I’d just let myself know that I was on the right track,” VanVleet said of the advice he’d give to himself in that moment. “Kind of everything that I was thinking and feeling at that time, you know, ended up to be true.”
Joining VanVleet with the Raptors that rookie season were his new-again teammate in Poeltl and Pascal Siakam, who was taken by Toronto at 23rd overall that same year.
“It’s great, I think we’re all excited,” VanVleet added about Poeltl coming back to Toronto. “It doesn’t feel much like a trade because it’s somebody coming back that we came in with, he’s a great friend of ours and somebody that we’ve spent a lot of time with.”
Anyone who’s learned more than the basics about VanVleet will see how important his family is. It’s not uncommon to see VanVleet training in the summer in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois, or hanging out after his games in Toronto with his partner Shontai and children Fred Jr. and Sanaa.
“I know the more I grow and the farther I go, I just want to make sure I keep that foundation. Family… is just wanting to keep more of those things that I’m building, to pass it on to the next generation,” he said.
One of those things VanVleet has built is a recent partnership with outerwear brand Canada Goose, who launched a five-piece collection this week with designer Chris Gibbs of UNION LA.
View this post on Instagram
“You pretty much need a Goose if you live here in the wintertime,” VanVleet said of Toronto’s harsh climate.
But while many players moving from the United States to Canada might feel struck by the winters up north, VanVleet actually thinks they’re a little tamer in Toronto than his hometown.
“It’s been a while since I spent a winter at home, but it feels colder.. feels like more snow [in Rockford],” he said.
However, VanVleet’s lifestyle and occupation have led him to realize the necessity of a proper winter coat while living in Canada.
“In Rockford, when it’s bad out, you just stay in the house,” VanVleet said. “I think in Toronto you do a little bit more moving around… more ripping and running. That Goose is a lifesaver sometimes.”
On the court, VanVleet’s in his second season as the full-time starting point guard with the Raptors, taking over the reins from Kyle Lowry after his sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat in Summer 2021.
“It’s a lot of responsibility, just trying to control the game,” VanVleet said. “There are so many things that you’re responsible for, the energy and just the flow of the game, making sure guys get shots and really just trying to dictate the entire offense… obviously, I had a great mentor to learn from [in Lowry].”
VanVleet has averaged 19.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in 47 games this season while shooting 34.1 from three-point range this season.
“I’ve been growing a lot,” VanVleet added about his past two years. “I’ve got to get better in my reads… I’ve got a lot of work to do, areas that I know I can be better.”
And while there was no shortage of calls for Toronto to aim towards a rebuild this season after a 25-30 start, it appears it’s all hands on deck focused on the team making a playoff push over the next few months.
“Really, I just play to win and try to be the best that I can be every day. [I want to be remembered as] just a guy that really, really competed and was respected by my peers,” VanVleet said. “I just leave it all out there on the floor, whatever stats, accolades that pile up in the meantime, I’ll be able to look at that and hopefully at the end of my career and say this is what I was able to accomplish.”
- You might also like:
- Raptors' Pascal Siakam to be named All-Star reserve replacement
Follow Channels and Categories