The Houston Rockets are staring down an ominous possible fate as an also-ran in the upcoming 2025-26 season, after losing a key member of their roster before even the start training camp.
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Point guard Fred VanVleet tore the ACL in his right knee during an offseason workout, and it’s possible the 31-year-old could take all year to recuperate.
The 6-foot Wichita alum had just inked a two-season, $50 million deal to remain with Houston through 2026-27 earlier in the offseason.
Life without Fred VanVleet
Young guard Reed Sheppard, who was the No. 3 pick out of Kentucky last year but failed to carve out a consistent role in head coach Ime Udoka’s rotation, is poised to take over the point guard position in VanVleet’s absence.
Fred Katz of The Athletic wonders what Houston’s long-term solution will be for life without VanVleet.
Had the one-time All-Star been healthy, the Rockets would have been presumably part of the Western Conference’s inner circle of championship contenders, along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Houston was expected to build on its 52-win run in 2024-25. After all, the team traded for 15-time All-Star forward Kevin Durant, signed 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith, brought in rim-rolling reserve center Clint Capela, and inked shooting guard Josh Okogie.
Katz observes that VanVleet was a solid creator for the Rockets and a useful asset off the catch when other Houston players handled the ball.
Still, Katz wonders if Sheppard will serve as the Rockets’ long-term solution in VanVleet stead. Beyond a blockbuster trade for a new, more season point guard (Houston has the youth and draft assets to make another big move), there are some potential solutions on the roster.
All-Star big man Alperen Sengun is a high-level passer for his position.
“Sengun can slice dimes to cutters from the high post, but running offense through that part of the court can limit the number of 3-pointers a team creates,” Katz opines. “The Rockets struggled to spawn enough 3s last season, and that was with VanVleet.”
All-Defensive Team wing Amen Thompson, who emerged late as a high-level athletic scorer in addition to being one of the top perimeter defenders in the league, is a solid transition passer who could serve as an intriguingly unorthodox option.
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Even if Thompson doesn’t constantly have the ball in his hands, he could still operate as an occasional point forward — although he doesn’t have VanVleet’s floor-spacing yet.
Durant has an above-average handle for his position, too, although it will be important for Udoka not to overextend the 37-year-old two-time Finals MVP.
Speaking on a new episode of “The Hoop Collective,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reflected on Durant’s fit with Houston.
A three-country edition of The Hoop Collective with @WindhorstESPN and @TimBontemps: Warriors’ chemistry test, underrated (?) OKC, Flagg’s first days, etc. https://t.co/mfsxmID8zm
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) October 3, 2025
“He’s always been a guy who loved to get in the gym with younger players and work on their games,” Bontemps said regarding the sharpshooting superstar. “They got Amen Thompson and all, you know, Alperen Sengun, and all these interesting young players, all these guys who are in the gym all the time. It’s got a chance to be an incredible fit for him.”
Durant is eligible for a contract extension in Houston throughout this season. It certainly seems that, regardless of how the VanVleet situation plays out, the Rockets’ odds of retaining the 6-foot-11 Texas product are looking pretty good.
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