Houston Rockets Extend Fred VanVleet Before NBA Draft

Rockets extend their starting point guard Fred VanVleet ahead of free agency openings on Sunday.

Apr 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) points during the first quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs first round against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Reported this morning by NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Houston Rockets and starting point guard Fred VanVleet intend to reach a two-year, $50 million contract agreement after Houston declined his $44.9 million team option.

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet intends to sign a two-year, $50 million contract to stay with the franchise, with a player option in 2026-27, sources tell ESPN. Rockets are declining VanVleet's $44.9 million team option and land the new deal with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul. pic.twitter.com/rwtEUptBQT

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2025

Currently at age 31, VanVleet will continue to start at point guard for the foreseeable future, and now with a star teammate in Kevin Durant being added to the roster, VanVleet could get back to his career high 8.1 assist form, which he secured in his first season with the Rockets.

VanVleet helped Houston improve from 22 wins to 41 in his first year. Then, Houston won 52 games to grab the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this past season, giving fans a glimpse of playoff basketball after four seasons.

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. He also put up a 43.5% of his 3-point attempts to set a new playoff career high.

Apr 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) and guard Fred VanVleet (5) between plays against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs first round at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

With this new contract, the Rockets will have the ability to add another veteran shooter to their team, and also gives Houston the flexibility to work through the future extensions of their young core.

The offseason moves that Houston has made could help them take the next step as contenders, as they were a first-round exit this season, despite being the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

As the NBA Draft is set to kick off tonight, the Houston Rockets' starting lineup is seemingly set in place now that VanVleet has been re-signed and extended. They do not have any picks as of now, but anything can happen during the NBA Draft.