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NBA Free Agency 2018: 20 best players available

By Micah Wimmer

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 22: Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 2: Fred VanVleet
TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 2: Fred VanVleet /

17. Fred VanVleet

After playing a mere 37 games his rookie season, the previously undrafted Fred VanVleet turned into one of the best, and most valuable, bench performers in the NBA last season. He was the anchor and cornerstone of the Raptors’ bench unit, a lineup that was among the best in the league all season long. While VanVleet’s numbers at 8 points and 3 assists per game aren’t mind-blowing on their own, there was a levelheadedness to his play all year that set him apart from most other backup point guards. Also, he shot over forty percent from three for the year and there will always be a place in the league for someone who can shoot that well. It would be good to see him improve his shooting from inside the three point arc, though, as VanVleet made only 43 percent of his 2 pointers, but that’s a relatively small quibble considering how good he looked all season. There were certainly be a market for him as teams look to add additional depth in their backcourts.

With the Raptors finances so tight, resigning VanVleet will cost far more than the money stipulated by the contract itself as it would likely put them on an inexorable path towards the luxury tax. The contracts of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Serge Ibaka, and Jonas Valanciunas alone pretty much put the Raptors at the cap limit, and none of those come off the books until 2020 unless Valanciunas fails to exercise his player option in 2019. There just isn’t much flexibility and it will take some creative work from Raptors team president Masai Ujiri to find a way to ensure the bench is strong in upcoming seasons. Due to that lack of financial maneuverability, VanVleet may have gone, in the course of just one season, from being one of the best values in the NBA to a player the Raptors cannot afford to keep.

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