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by: Kris Gardner. Credentialed media member since 1997. USBWA approved online journalist. Voter of Naismith, USBWA, WBHOF, and Wooden awards.
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Rockets Sign Free Agent Fred VanVleet
Posted: July 7, 2023 -- 1:51 p.m. CT
Friday afternoon, the Houston Rockets announced they have signed free agent guard Fred VanVleet. The contract is for 3-years, $43 million with a team option on the third year.
VanVleet (6'0", 193) went from being undrafted in 2016, to sixth man for the Toronto Raptors during their championship run in 2018-19, to earning his first All-Star appearance in 2021-22. In 417 career games with 268 starts, he has averaged 14.6 points, 5.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.35 steals and 2.4 3-pointers made. VanVleet is also a career 86.9% shooter from the foul line, including 88.6% over the past three seasons.
Dating back to 2019-20, VanVleet joins LaMelo Ball as the only players to have averaged at least 19.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.0 rpg and 1.50 spg. Over that four-season span, VanVleet was one of nine players with 200-plus games played to have averaged at least 3.0 three-point field goals made.
Last season, VanVleet ranked 12th in the league in assists (7.2 apg) and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.54) to 1. He has a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.15 to 1. Over the past five seasons, VanVleet was one of seven players with at least 1,500 assists to have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.00 to 1 or better.
VanVleet has averaged at least 6.0 apg, 1.50 spg and 3.0 3FGM in each of the past three seasons. Stephen Curry (6 times), James Harden (4 times) and VanVleet's former teammate Kyle Lowry (once) are the only other players in NBA history to have averaged those numbers in a season.
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