NBA Free Agency: Raptors sign Fred VanVleet to multi-year contract

This is maybe not the deal you were looking for, but the Raptors have announced the signing of guard Fred VanVleet to a multi-year contract. The number of years in that "multi" designation, and the financial terms of the deal, have not be disclosed. Also still in the dark: how guaranteed the the partially-guaranteed deal actually is.

VanVleet is a four-year player out of Wichita State, listed at 6' and 195 pounds. He averaged 10.2 points, 4.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 26.8 minutes in 141 games while in college. While with the Raptors in the NBA Summer League, VanVleet chipped in with 6.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.0 minutes per game. As the backup to Delon Wright, VanVleet was often called on to settle the team down, a job which he made look quite effortless.

The obvious issue to take with the move is one of position. The Raptors now have a whopping four point guards under contract -- Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph, Wright and VanVleet. It's important to keep in mind here, however, that the Raptors are just trying to keep a solid player they like around. VanVleet could have conceivably gone overseas to play, so the move may help convince him to stick around in the D-League with the Raptors 905. At the very least, VanVleet will be with the big league squad through training camp to push the rest of the roster and improve his own game. Then, a more final decision can be made -- at which point, as an affiliate player, some other team can pick up VanVleet (a la Axel Toupane).

Again: The Raptors signing VanVleet is not their final move of the summer (i.e. filling that 15th roster spot) and it does not mean they are planning on rolling out four point guards on the roster. But still, let's reflect in the comments.

(And shout out to Blake Murphy for owning the hell out of the VanVleet Beat since we landed in Las Vegas.)