Lingering injury concerns and a murky recovery timeline leave Houston at a crossroads. Can the Rockets afford to wait for their veteran leader, or is it time to move on?
One of the Houston Rockets’ biggest issues last year has still yet to be fully resolved. Even with the additions of Marcus Smart and Bruce Thornton, there’s still a question mark lingering over Fred VanVleet's health.
As covered on Roundtable, we still don’t have a real timeline or any updates on his injury recovery. Fans and analysts alike speculated over whether or not he’d be able to return last season, only to be disappointed by the time the playoffs came.
That’s all fine and dandy, as the most important thing is his health. Nobody wants to rush a player back on the court when they’re not ready, but when will he be ready? Can the Rockets afford to wait? Or would it be better to move on?
I’ve already looked over a couple of ambitious mock trades to swap former All-Star guards here on Roundtable, but I have my doubts on whether or not Rafael Stone would pull the trigger on any trade.
The Durant trade felt like a no-brainer, even if you did have to give up your highest draft selection since Yao Ming in 2002. This one would feel a bit different than trading Jalen Green though.
VanVleet came to a tanking team in Houston as a free agent and helped them turn things around. The money probably helped, but he did take a risk by coming into a losing situation.
I think the human side of things is impossible to ignore too, as it’d be harder to trade someone who’s dealing with a traumatic injury. I won’t be surprised if we don’t see any movement here.
