Significant news late Monday for NBA fans with an interest in Ontario sports betting.
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has decided to opt out of his $22.8 million player option for the 2023-24 NBA season and become an unrestricted free agent this summer, first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Utilizing the trade rumor mill, OntarioBets.com developed hypothetical odds of where VanVleet, a key player on the Raptors' 2019 championship team, will land for the 2023-24 season.
Fred VanVleet Next Team Odds
Suns Should Be Betting Favorite
After crunching the numbers and taking stock of the league, we believe the Phoenix Suns (+450) should be the favorite across Ontario betting apps to land VanVleet this summer.
Why the desert?
VanVleet has the championship-pedigree from his time in Toronto, but also doesn't need to be the main attraction (or ball-handler) for a team to get to the promised land. As he showed with his play alongside Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry during the Raptors' NBA Finals run, VanVleet is the perfect complement to established All-Stars, and the Suns seem like the ideal fit.
With Kevin Durant and Devin Booker established as the clear first and second options in Phoenix, the unselfish VanVleet could easily slide in alongside them and provide a veteran presence. The Suns will enter next season in true championship-or-bust mode following the Durant acquisition, and their odds will be reflected as such at operators like DraftKings Sportsbook Ontario.
Should the Suns add VanVleet's 19.3 points per game, new coach Frank Vogel will have another savvy veteran scorer who can also provide defensive help. Look no further than his coverage of Steph Curry against the Warriors in those 2019 Finals.
Los Angeles Also Could Be VanVleet's New Home
Where else could we see VanVleet ending up? Look no further than the City of Angels.
The Lakers (+500) and Clippers (+600) could be in play for VanVleet's services, with similar reasoning as to why Phoenix made sense.
The Lakers' window with LeBron James may very well be closing, and despite a nice run to the Western Conference Finals this spring, the team needs more depth and less dependence on the soon to be 39-year-old James. VanVleet could take the scoring load off James and Anthony Davis on any given night, and would likely be willing to even come off the bench should coach Darvin Ham desire. Like the Suns, it's title or bust next season for the Purple & Gold.
Then there's the Clippers, where a VanVleet-Kawhi reunion would surely be a tough image for Raptors fans. The two had great on-court chemistry during just one year together north of the border, and Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer won't be shy about paying VanVleet what he deserves. But let's see what happens with Russell Westbrook's free agency first, as the former MVP made a positive impact in a short stretch at the end of last season.
Other teams like the Chicago Bulls (+600, same as the Clippers), Miami Heat (+750) and Houston Rockets (+1000) may also land VanVleet this summer, but expect Phoenix and L.A. to be the most aggressive in adding the 2022 NBA All-Star.
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