Peter Okereke
After being ousted in the first round of the playoffs for a second consecutive year, the Houston Rockets are evaluating all aspects of their roster. But now, they know exactly where point guard Fred VanVleet stands entering into the 2026-27 season.
VanVleet has opted into his $25 million contract for the upcoming season, per Shams Charania of ESPN. If the right opportunity comes, the Rockets could swing a trade and shake up their backcourt. But for now, VanVleet is locked in with Houston.
The point guard missed the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his ACL. His time away from the court may have had some fans forgetting what VanVleet brings to the table. But the last time he played, he was shooting the lights out in the playoffs, eventually earning a two-year, $50 million extension.
During that 2024-25 season, he averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds while making nearly two steals a game. Over his 133 games total with the Rockets, he has averaged 15.9 points, 6.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from the floor and 37 percent from behind the arc.
But with Fred VanVleet getting injured, sophomore Reed Sheppard was forced to take on more responsibilities. Appearing in all 82 games, Sheppard averaged 13.5 points, 3.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game, shooting 38 percent from three. Now, the Rockets have both players at their disposal heading into the next campaign.
Houston’s roster may still look completely different come the regular season let alone the playoffs while VanVleet isn’t guaranteed to remain with the Rockets. But in terms of his 2026-27 contract, the franchise now knows exactly where they stand when it comes to the point guard.
Fred VanVleet opened up about emotional trauma of ACL tear
Fred VanVleet recently opened up about the ACL injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2025-26 season. The one-time NBA All-Star revealed it was an emotional time, especially with high expectations for both him and the team entering the year.
The 32-year-old guard further admitted to going through denial after the injury, insisting he’d be able to recover within two weeks. After finding out that he needed surgery, the 2019 NBA champion assured himself he would come back before the season was over.
Unfortunately for Houston, that wasn’t the case. “The whole season, I’m like, ‘I’m coming back,’ but man, I wasn’t anywhere near coming back,” VanVleet said.
While it was a traumatic experience for him, the Wichita State alum aims to be fully healthy for training camp and the Rockets will also be relaxed too, knowing well he’s staying put in Houston ahead of next season.
