NBA Rumors: Raptors Don't Regret Not Trading Fred VanVleet Before 2023 Free Agency | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

The Toronto Raptors reportedly haven't second-guessed their decision to hold onto guard Fred VanVleet last season before losing him to the Houston Rockets in free agency.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Raptors are not "awash in regret" over opting against trading VanVleet since the offers they received prior to last season's trade deadline were "underwhelming."

The Raptors chose to be buyers at last year's deadline by adding center Jakob Poeltl, and they gambled on possibly being able to re-sign VanVleet in free agency, but he instead inked a three-year, $128.5 million contract with the Rockets.

Stein noted that the Raptors could have made a trade like VanVleet to the Los Angeles Clippers for Luke Kennard and a "modest measure of draft compensation," but the organization decided it was better to try to go on a playoff run with VanVleet, Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.

That didn't work out, as Toronto went 41-41 and lost in the postseason play-in tournament, spelling the end of VanVleet and head coach Nick Nurse's tenures with the Raptors.

Per Stein, the VanVleet situation likely influenced the Raptors to act early on Siakam and Anunoby, both of whom are likely to become free agents during the offseason.

Toronto dealt Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks for R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick last month, and this week they traded Siakam to the Indiana Pacers as part of a three-team deal, bringing back Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr. and three first-round picks.

By trading Siakam and Anunoby, the Raptors put themselves in a position where Gary Trent Jr., Thaddeus Young and Otto Porter Jr. are their only impending unrestricted free agents of consequence.

Also, since they made the moves so early, they have plenty of time to possibly ship those players out as well.

Toronto has acquired a good amount of draft capital, plus it has a young core it can build around led by Barnes, Barrett and Quickley.

Trading VanVleet may have given the Raptors a couple of more pieces to work with, but it is understandable why the Raptors were reluctant.

The front office likely knew last season would be the last year with its core group in place, and it had the talent to go on a playoff run, even if things didn't work out.

Also, VanVleet is among the most important players in franchise history, as he spent his first seven seasons in Toronto and blossomed into an All-Star despite being undrafted, which is a rarity in the NBA.

He also helped bring the Raptors their first and only NBA championship in 2019, and now Chris Boucher is the only player from that team still on the roster.