Fred VanVleet and the Rockets reportedly agreed to a three-year, $130 million deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The former Raptors star, who signs the first max contract of the summer in the NBA, was one of the Rockets’ top targets in this year’s market as a veteran point guard who should help a core of young stars in Houston.
Earlier this month, VanVleet declined his $22.8 million player option, becoming a free agent after seven seasons in Toronto. VanVleet, an undrafted player in 2016, made a name for himself with the Raptors.
After helping Toronto win an NBA championship coming off the bench in the 2018–19 season, he became a full-time starter in Toronto during the following year. VanVleet earned his first All-Star recognition in the ’21–22 campaign, where he averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 assists and a career-high 4.4 rebounds per game.
Last season, VanVleet averaged 19.3 points with career-highs in assists per game (7.2) and free throw percentage (89.8%) in a career-best 69 games. It was also his third consecutive season averaging no fewer than 19 points and his fourth consecutive campaign of averaging six assists.
VanVleet leaves Toronto as the franchise’s record holder for points (54 vs. the Magic in 2021) and assists (20 vs. the Hornets in ’23) in a single game, and is third in total assists and fourth in total steals in Raptors’ history.