Fred VanVleet Stays in Houston

The 32 year old veteran point guard, Fred VanVleet, has exercised his player option worth $25 million: VanVleet will play another season with the Houston Rockets. This is huge news for Houston, as they will need him to play a prominent role if the team will have any chance of holding up to their high expectations of success.

Houston lacks roster depth, especially at the point guard position, making VanVleet a crucial part of the roster. When VanVleet was unable to play for the team last season because of his ACL sprain, the offense became slow and predictable at times.

VanVleet will improve the team's offense by being the primary floor general, and will also elevate their 3 point shooting volume, which was probably Houston weakest attribute. He averages 6.7 three point attempts per game, forcing the opposing defenses to have to spread out to guard him, henceforth creating wider driving lanes. This is just one of the way that VanVleet will make the team's offense less predictable and more creative.

With the NBA regular season games seemingly becoming more and more routine, the transition into the playoffs will become more difficult. This increases the value of playoff experience, which VanVleet holds. VanVleet brings a veteran leadership to Houston, and his playoff experience will be needed if the Rockets want to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference and make a push deep into the playoffs. 

VanVleet has played 59 career playoff games, including winning the NBA Championship in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. VanVleet was crucial to the Raptors' success. In the Finals against the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 14 points per game and shot 52.6% from three-point range.

VanVleet has already proved the value that he brings to Houston: he excelled in the first round of the 2025 Western Conference. He averaged 18.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds.

Alongside Kevin Durant, the two veteran leaders' strong playoff experience, is yet another reason that the expectations for success in Houston are so high.

VanVleet recently discussed his injury last season, where he suffered a brutal ACL tear causing him to miss the entirety of the season. He expressed how big of an emotional impact it had on him, as he was in denial with the expectations that he would be able to partake in the post-season. When he was unable to play, he felt that he let down his teammates and the city of Houston.

The feelings of culpability he placed on himself has increased his level of determination to redeem himself, and he just took his first step towards his redemption by exercising his player option. Will VanVleet bounce back stronger than before or will his injury linger on and taper his physical ability?