The Houston Rockets just took a hit to their championship hopes this year as guard Fred VanVleet suffered a torn ACL and is now in danger of missing the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season, according to multiple reports.
A veteran presence on what was otherwise a rather young team a season ago, VanVleet has provided pivotal minutes and solid scoring to the Rockets during his two years with the team. He helped elevate them from a lottery team to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season, though the Golden State Warriors eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs.
The Rockets were hopeful that their incredible rise last season could turn into championship aspirations this year. The team went all in this offseason, trading away several young members of their core in order to acquire Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in a massive seven-team trade.
VanVleet agreed to a two-year, $50 million extension with the Rockets this June, which included a player option for the 2026-27 season. He was also elected the new president of the National Basketball Players Association in July.
Fred VanVleet stats
VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season with Houston, his lowest mark since the 2018-19 season. He did, however, improve his scoring in the postseason, where he tallied 18.7 points per game during Houston’s seven game series with Golden State.
VanVleet also added 5.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 season, all while shooting 37.8% from the field and 34.5% from three-point range. He played in 60 games for Houston a season ago; he started in every game he appeared in.
Houston Rockets depth chart
After VanVleet, the Rockets’ depth chart at point guard consists of Amen Thompson, Aaron Holiday, Reed Sheppard, and Nate Williams.