Houston Rockets’ Fred VanVleet Working Hard To Return This Season
Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet is working hard to return this season, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
VanVleet tore his right ACL in September.
“Is VanVleet really out for the season? Not necessarily,” Stein wrote. “The Rockets certainly won’t be guaranteeing a return in 2025-26 after VanVleet’s unfortunate knee tear during a team mini-camp in the Bahamas before training camp, but they also aren’t completely ruling it out, either. Word is VanVleet is working as hard as possible in his rehab from the injury to at least put a late-season return on the table.”
VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game for Houston last season. He shot 37.8% from the field, 34.5% from beyond the arc and 81.0% from the free-throw line.
A one-time All-Star, VanVleet is making $25 million this season. He has a player option worth $25 million for next season.
The Rockets have started the season 21-11 without VanVleet. They are fifth in the NBA in points per game, third in points per game allowed, third in offensive rating, eighth in defensive rating and second in net rating under third-year head coach Ime Udoka.
Houston made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2020. Udoka’s group lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round in seven games and management knew the roster wasn’t ready to compete for a title.
So, Rafael Stone traded Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns for NBA legend Kevin Durant, who is averaging 25.7 points per game on the season. Durant and VanVleet are the only players on the Rockets who have won a championship.
It will be fascinating to see if VanVleet returns late in the season. If he does, the Rockets could compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder for Western Conference supremacy.
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