Houston Rockets vs. Atlanta Hawks Injury Report

Where the Rockets and Hawks' injury reports stand as of Monday.

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

Tonight, the Houston Rockets will kick off their 2025 NBA preseason slate with a bout against the Atlanta Hawks.

It’s been a long offseason for Rockets fans, who saw their team turned into a legitimate contender overnight when the organization traded for superstar Kevin Durant. In signing a few others in free agency, the Rockets have now built one of the best teams in the NBA.

The Hawks, too, saw one of the better offseasons in the league, trading for Kristaps Porzingis and signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker. They’ll offer a fine measuring stick for Houston to open up preseason.

Unfortunately, the Rockets are set to take on Atlanta already down a few players, as they’re one of a few teams already being bitten by the injury bug early.

Here’s where the injury report for both teams stands, aside from the usual rest high-profile players get in preseason:

Eventful week at work for @KDTrey5 🚀 pic.twitter.com/RkwrlvM8vl

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 5, 2025

Houston Rockets injuries:

Fred VanVleet — Out: ACL tear

Dorian Finney-Smith — Out: Ankle

Atlanta Hawks injuries:

N/A

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Fred VanVleet is likely to be a mainstay on the team’s injury report for the entire season, having suffered an ACL tear in an offseason workout that is likely to sideline the 31-year-old for the entire 2025-26 season.

It was a huge blow for the team, given that VanVleet was set to handle the majority of the handling and facilitating duties at point guard. Now, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard are to be relied on in those areas.

Wing Dorian Finney-Smith — signed to a long-term deal in free agency — is now expected to miss the beginning of the team’s regular season due to a lingering ankle injury. It can be deduced through the verbiage on that reporting that Finney-Smith won't be a go for Monday's bout.

As of now, the Hawks don’t have any notably big injuries that would keep players sidelined for Monday, though the NBA preseason can be fickle with playing time and appearances for full rosters.

Despite injuries, the Rockets still persist as one of the best teams in the Western Conference, led by Durant, one-time All-Star Alperen Sengun and rising star Amen Thompson. There will still be numerous things to take away from tonight's game, including how Durant fits with the team, and how ready Houston's backup guards are.

The Rockets and Hawks will tip off at 7 p.m. CT from Toyota Center in Houston, TX. The Rockets will kick off their regular season against the Thunder on Oct. 21.