Houston Rockets' Fred VanVleet Eyes 'Fresh Start' After 7 Seasons with Toronto Raptors

Fred VanVleet signed a three-year deal with the Houston Rockets this offseason.

The Houston Rockets will look a little different when they take the floor this season, and most of that will stem from their change at the point guard position.

The biggest splash of the offseason came when the Rockets signed former Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet to a three-year deal worth $130 million.

VanVleet, 29, will give the Rockets a lot of experience but the change of scenery beckons a new opportunity for the former All-Star.

"It feels like a new chapter, a new beginning," VanVleet said via CBS Sports. "The way I was just grinding and trying to make my way and then that turned into a championship and an All-Star and all of those things, an incredible seven years that I had in Toronto. 

"But this league and the way it's going, it's rare for people to stay on the same team for their whole career. So here I am, going into my eighth season in a completely new environment. It just feels like a fresh start." 

While VanVleet gets a fresh start, the Rockets are also hoping for something similar after arguably the worst three-year stretch in franchise history where the team won just 59 games over that span. To put it in context, the 2017-18 Rockets won six more games in their Western Conference Finals season than the last three years combined.

VanVleet bringing in a calming, veteran presence is exactly what the Rockets need, and there's hope that the fresh start from all parties will put Houston back on track.