We Told Fred VanVleet’s Mom There Is One Team He Can’t Sign With

Friday, Rockford's Fred VanVleet, becomes one of the the NBA's most coveted free agents. There's one interested team we want him to turn down.

You won't find anyone in the NBA who worked harder to get there, than Fred VanVleet. On draft night, four years ago, his phone never rang. And, that's when Steady Freddy showed what he's really made of, by out-working everyone.

Four years later, Fred is an NBA champion guard for the Toronto Raptors. Keeping his 'never been on a losing team his entire life' streak alive.

Come Friday, all that hard work and winning could earn Fred VanVleet a one-hundred million dollar payday. Fred bet on himself and look what has happened. When it comes to sought-after free agents, there aren't any with anywhere near the same talent and work ethic, and that's what makes Fred such a hot commodity.

Most recently, four teams have expressed big interest in signing Fred, one of them being the Raptors. The only other teams with the kind of spending power it will take are, the New York Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons. One of those teams will make Fred $80-$100 million richer by the end of the weekend.

Thinking about this from a fan's perspective, while I want all the best for Fred and his entire family, there is something I don't want. What I don't want to do ever, is to wear anything adorned with the logo of one of the aforementioned teams.  In Illinois, if you've ever called yourself a Chicago Bulls fan, you know very well what team I'm talking about. This morning, I shared my feelings in a text with Fred's mom, Susan.

Damn right, Susan. If our children are happy, so are we.

Fred will be in Chicago on Friday taking meetings with interested teams. A deal with one of them has to be signed by November 22nd.

[H/T Wall Street Journal]

Steve Shannon is host of The Steve Shannon Show on 97ZOK. On the air weekday mornings from 6 to 10 a.m. and a special 'Rewind' show, featuring favorite moments from previous shows, on Saturday mornings from 5 to 7 a.m.. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and like his page on Facebook.