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How does Fred VanVleet's torn ACL affect the Rockets (1:28)
The "NBA Today" crew reacts to how Fred VanVleet tearing an ACL will affect the Rockets in the 2025-26 season. (1:28)
Houston Rockets star point guard Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn ACL and could potentially miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season, sources told ESPN on Monday.
VanVleet, a one-time All-Star and former NBA champion (2019 with the Toronto Raptors), has helped spearhead the Rockets' turnaround from lottery team to playoff contender in his two seasons with Houston.
He signed a two-year, $50 million extension with the Rockets in June, with the deal including a player option in 2026-27.
An immediate fit after signing a three-year deal with the team in the summer of 2023, VanVleet helped Houston improve from 22 wins to 41 in his first year. The Rockets then won 52 games last season to grab the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, ending a four-year postseason drought.
He averaged 14.1 points in the 2024-25 season, his fewest in a season since 2018-19, but averaged 18.7 points per game in the playoffs.
VanVleet is a hard-nosed defender who succeeds on offense through playmaking and volume 3-point shooting; he was second on the team in 3-point attempts per game this past season with 7.7. He tends to struggle with efficiency, however, and he shot below 40% from the field in 2024-25 for the fourth time in his career.
The nine-year veteran has averaged 14.9 points and 5.7 assists in his career.
ESPN Research contributed to this report.
