ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The Toronto Raptors made it official Tuesday, Fred VanVleet has signed his new contract. It’s a four year deal worth $85 million, but don’t expect it to change who Fred VanVleet is.
“I’m really happy and blessed to be in this position,” said VanVleet during a Zoom Conference with reporters.
The Rockford guy who wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of Auburn High School, the guy who wasn’t taken in the NBA Draft now has a contract that validates everything he ever believed about himself. That he can achieve anything that he sets his mind to.
“This is just another step in the journey for me,” said VanVleet. “It’s really just the beginning of the next chapter. This is kind of, for me at least, closing a chapter on what has transpired up until this point, and now I feel like I’m on a level playing field and I’ve made it. I’ve got both feet inside the door.”
VanVleet said he had a feeling he’d wind up resigning with the Raptors the team that showed as much faith in him as he showed in himself.
“I always felt like I’d be back… I had some interest from other teams, but again nothing really panned out. It kind of made it a little bit better in that regard it wasn’t as stressful.”
VanVleet says the new contract won’t change the way he plays. He’ll still push himself to be the best player he can be, and he says the contract won’t change his lifestyle.
“I’ve done everything that I’ve ever wanted to do pretty much, so it’s not like I’m getting all this money and I have to go live an extravagant life and try to do all of these things that I’ve never been able to do before. I’m good.”
What the contract will allow VanVleet to do is relax and have peace of mind knowing his family has security.
“This is a generational thing. It’s for my family and it’s for the future of our families. That’s just kind of the way I’m looking at it.”
VanVleet says he has some individual goals set for the rest of his career, but he’s keeping those to himself. He says his biggest goal is to win another championship.
