Rockets' pursuit of $96,258,694 guard hit major roadblock in wake of Fred VanVleet setback

Before Fred VanVleet's ACL injury, the Houston Rockets emerged as a probable landing spot for Terry Rozier III after reports came out on Thursday, suggesting that the Miami Heat are considering parting ways with the guard.

But VanVleet's injury presents a major roadblock in Houston's pursuit. He tore his ACL during the Rockets’ training camp in the Bahamas over the weekend.

Before his injury, he had been touted as someone who could be packaged in a potential trade for Rozier. With an ACL tear, VanVleet is no longer eligible to be included in trades.

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With VanVleet out, the Rockets can no longer match Terry Rozier’s $26,643,031 salary for next season.

The team operates under a self-imposed hard cap, due to which it can’t avail the flexibility of the NBA’s salary rules. Moreover, Houston’s payroll decisions over the summer have left the team with no wiggle room to pursue an alternate replacement for VanVleet.

The star guard played 60 games for Houston last season, averaging 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He was even better in the playoffs, recording 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds in seven games.

Despite losing Fred VanVleet, the Houston Rockets look stronger than they did last season

While Fred VanVleet’s ACL injury is sure to shake things up in Houston, the team still finds itself looking better than it did in 2024-25. The Rockets have enjoyed a successful summer, acquiring Kevin Durant, Clint Capela, Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Okogie and JD Davison.

The length and two-way acumen that the Rockets have added through these additions make them one of the stronger teams in the Western Conference. Houston finished last season as the No. 2 seed in the tightly contested West. The team produced such results while banking on Jalen Green as its No. 1 option on offense.

In 2025-26, Kevin Durant will lead the charge. The gulf in quality between Durant and Green is quite significant, with the former being widely considered the better player. Moreover, Houston looks like a much-improved team on the defensive end.

So, while losing Fred VanVleet is concerning, the Rockets still possess one of the better, more well-rounded rosters around the NBA.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan