VanVleet seemingly came out of nowhere to establish himself as one of the NBA's premier backup point guards. He underwent thumb surgery in mid-February and missed just over a month of action. VanVleet was stellar upon returning to the lineup. In Toronto's 13 remaining regular season games, VanVleet averaged 12.5 points and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 42.2 percent from deep and hitting 88.0 percent of his free throws. He also took outstanding care of the ball all season, averaging only 1.3 turnovers per game. As impressive as he was at the tail end of the regular season, it was VanVleet's efforts in the late stages of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bucks and in the NBA Finals against Golden State that made him a beloved figure north of the border. The Wichita State product played 32.3 minutes per game and averaged 14.7 points over the course of Toronto's final nine playoff contests. VanVleet's 22 points were key in the Raptors' 114-110 Game 6 NBA Finals-clinching win over the Warriors on June 13. In that contest, he drilled five three-pointers. A stellar sharpshooter who is exceedingly reliable with the ball in his hands, VanVleet carved out a valuable role to help Toronto earn its first NBA Championship.

Fred VanVleet appeared in 70 games for the Toronto Raptors during his second season with the club, playing a key reserve role. FVV averaged career highs of 8.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists over 20 minutes per contest. He shot 42.6 percent from the floor, including 41.4 percent from behind the arc. VanVleet's three-point field goal percentage was the best on the club, and 21st overall in the NBA. FVV hit at least three treys in 15 games during the regular season and reached double-digit scoring in 35 games. On Jan. 11, he connected on a career-best six three-pointers against Cleveland. On Jan. 25, VanVleet poured in a career-high 25 points against the Lakers. The Raptors defeated Washington in the first round of the playoffs, but then fell to Cleveland in the second round. VanVleet appeared in six of Toronto's 10 playoff games. He averaged 6.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per playoff contest. VanVleet's best playoff output came in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cavaliers. He had 14 points and four assists in that contest. In the off-season, VanVleet was named a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award, along with Eric Gordon and Lou Williams.

VanVleet was undrafted during the 2016 NBA Draft, but he signed an agreement to play with the Toronto Raptors during the Summer League. The move proved wise for both VanVleet and Toronto. The Wichita State product signed a multi-year rookie deal with Toronto on Jul. 18 and wound up making the last spot on the Raptor roster. VanVleet made his NBA debut via a brief, 26-second appearance on Nov. 9 at Oklahoma City. His first meaningful contribution came on Dec. 18 when the reserve point guard played 23 minutes and posted four points, four assists, two rebounds and three steals during a blowout win at Orlando. To stay sharp, Toronto often sent the rookie to their D-League 905 squad. In 16 D-League games, VanVleet averaged 16.9 points, 7.6 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. On Feb. 3, VanVleet was with the parent club and scored a career-high 15 points, to go with three assists and three rebounds, in a loss at Orlando. The Raptors finished the season at 51-31 and defeated the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Cavaliers in the second round. VanVleet saw brief stints as a reserve in seven of Toronto's 10 playoff games.