Rockets’ Fred VanVleet suffers torn ACL, likely to miss season

Rockets guard Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn ACL and is likely to miss the upcoming season, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

The news is devastating, obviously, for a team that just landed Kevin Durant in a seven-team offseason trade and is expecting to compete for a title.

VanVleet appeared in 60 games last season for Houston, averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 37.8% from the field, 34.5% from three-point range and 81% from the free throw line.

Houston signed VanVleet in 2023 in hopes of adding veteran stability to a young, promising roster. Alongside additions such as Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green and coach Ime Udoka, the move paid off. The Rockets posted a 41–41 record and remained in postseason contention deep into the regular season.

The Rockets took a significant step forward in 2024–25, finishing 52–30 and securing the second-best record in the Western Conference before falling to the Warriors in a tightly contested first-round playoff series.

But after landing Durant in a deal that sent Brooks and guard Jalen Green to the Suns, things suddenly look considerably bleaker for the Rockets.