Fred VanVleet signing with the Rockets two summers ago was a major step forward for the franchise, as Houston was desperate to add some veteran help to a young roster with promising talent that had never won at the NBA level before. That signing — along with Dillon Brooks and the addition of Ime Udoka as coach — paid immediate dividends, as the Rockets went from a perennial lottery team to a contender over the last two seasons, most recently winning 52 games in the regular season to earn the West’s 2-seed.
This summer figured to be a similarly pivotal moment for the Rockets franchise, as they stalled out in the first round of the playoffs and saw how much further they need to go to be a significant contender in the West. They addressed that issue quickly, trading Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 pick in this year’s Draft to the Suns for Kevin Durant, giving them a bonafide superstar with a championship pedigree to try and take the next step forward.
With Durant onboard, the Rockets next step is keeping the rest of their core intact. They signed Steven Adams to an extension prior to the Durant trade, and on Monday Kelly Iko of the Athletic reported their intention to decline Fred VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option — but work out a long-term deal with him once free agency begins. Marc Stein corroborated that report, noting it’s a “strong expectation” they will have that long-term deal done when free agency opens on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
The only real question is how much VanVleet signs for, how many years are on the deal and how they structure it.
Most seem to anticipate another three-year deal for VanVleet, and it will certainly be for less annual money than the $44.9 million they declined, as the Rockets will angle to get inside the first apron with a new deal if possible. As an example, if VanVleet’s new deal starts at $30 million per year they move approximately $6 million below the first apron with 12 players on the roster, giving them a chance to remain there.
Steven Adams’ three-year extension also showed that they are valuing future flexibility, knowing they have more extensions to hand out to the likes of Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. in the coming years. Adams’ deal is for $13 million on average, but starts at north of $14 million and descends to just under $12 million in the third year. That’s a similar structure to what they did with Dillon Brooks’ deal — which also made him easier to trade — and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they look to do another descending deal with VanVleet.
This news was originally published on this post .
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Bia Haddad vence americana por 2 a 0 e avança às oitavas de final em Bad Homburg
A temporada de grama culmina em Wimbledon, terceiro e penúltimo grand slam da temporada, e a chave principal está marcada para começar em 2 de julho. Em janeiro, no Australian open, Bia Haddad chegou até a terceira rodada, e em Roland Garros, no mês passado, foi eliminada na estreia, de virada.
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Bia Haddad vence americana por 2 a 0 e avança às oitavas de final em Bad Homburg
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