Just a month ahead of the impending 2025-26 season, the Houston Rockets have lost a critical All-Star.
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ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that freshly re-signed Rockets starting point guard Fred VanVleet has torn his ACL, in what Charania is calling a “potentially season-ending loss.”
Just in: Houston Rockets’ Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn ACL, sources tell ESPN. A devastating, potentially season-ending loss for the Rockets with their starting point guard and leader. pic.twitter.com/Qhf0V58DwR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2025
Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reports that VanVleet tore the ACL during a voluntary Rockets mini-camp in the Bahamas, prior to the official start of training camp for the team.
How can the Rockets pivot sans VanVleet?
Houston has limited depth behind the 31-year-old VanVleet, a one-time All-Star and 2019 league champion. Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in last year’s draft, is the heir apparent to VanVleet as of this writing.
The loss of VanVleet for at least an extended portion of the season represents a massive blow to Houston’s title aspirations, following a bold offseason of major moves to reshape its roster.
As capologist Keith Smith of Spotrac reports, Houston at present does not have any real estate under the league’s first luxury tax apron hard cap. Unless the Rockets make a trade to free up some salary space, the team will next be able to bring on a veteran to a rest-of-season deal in early January.
Rockets don’t have room under their first-apron hard cap to sign another player right now. Barring a salary-clearing move, Houston will be able to sign a player in early-January to a rest-of-season contract. https://t.co/rDVEtXeHw2
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 22, 2025
The 6-footer out of Wichita State had his lowest-scoring season since 2018-19 last year, as he ceded more touches to rising stars Alperen Sengun and (at the time) Jalen Green. Green, of course, was shipped to the Phoenix Suns as part of the club’s blockbuster seven-team trade for 15-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant.
In 60 healthy games last year, VanVleet averaged 14.1 points on .378/.345/.810 shooting splits, 5.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 60 games.
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This summer, Houston declined VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option for 2025-26 and opted to re-sign him to a more affordable two-season, $50 million contract, including a $25 player option for 2026-27.
Beyond the Durant deal, Houston also signed 3-and-D combo forward Dorian Finney-Smith, rim-rolling center Clint Capela, and defense-first guard Josh Okogie, while re-signing incumbents VanVleet, Steven Adams, Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green.
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