Trade Idea: Rockets Replace Fred VanVleet with Young Franchise Cornerstone

On Thursday, Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet underwent successful surgery to repair his torn right ACL. The team isn't ruling out a return to the postseason, but the injury will likely sideline him for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

VanVleet's injury is a massive blow for a Rockets team that was finally slated to legitimately contend for a title. Making matters worse is the fact that Houston doesn't have the ability to replace him, outside of parting with highly valued draft capital that the front office strategically stockpiled, especially from the Phoenix Suns (by way of the Brooklyn Nets).

Furthermore, Houston will also have to part with assets that were expected to be part of the nucleus this season. Only Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason are immediately eligible to be dealt and we know the franchise would prefer to keep them both.

Alperen Sengun or Amen Thompson could both be dealt but we know those players are both off limits, which is justifiable. The team will have an abundance of options open up on December 15, when the players that inked new deals over the summer will be eligible to be traded.

The latest trade proposal by Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley has Houston's brass doing just that, landing a superstar in the process in Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers, in exchange for Eason, Sheppard, VanVleet, Clint Capela, and Houston's 2027 and 2029 first-round picks.

The reasoning is below.

"If things are looking really bleak through the first couple of months, maybe Houston feels it has to hit the trade market to find someone who can salvage this season.

Someone like Maxey. While he'd awfully hard to pry out of Philadelphia, he'd be all-caps GREAT if the asset-rich Rockets could pull it off. He's a star in his own right, but the fact he can play on or off the ball means he's built to shine bright alongside other stars, like Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün. That's a terrifying-on-paper trio on the offensive end, and remember, the Rockets had the fifth-best defense this past season."

The writer continued.

"While Capela would simply be a money-matcher, VanVleet would have value when he's healthy enough to return, either as another trade chip or even as the floor general who finally brings out the best in Joel Embiid and Paul George."

Let's first note that Philadelphia would be hard pressed to do this deal. In fact, they wouldn't.

Maxey is still just 24-years-old and has averaged 26 points and six assists in each of the last two seasons. Even if Philadelphia is forced to rebuild, they'd keep Maxey.

Similar to what the Phoenix Suns did this offseason, parting with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, but holding on to Devin Booker.

On paper, this may seem like alot for Houston to give up, until you peel the onion back.

The devil is in the details. When you pop the hood, you can always get a better glimpse.

Houston has wing depth, making Eason a viable sacrifice, not to mention the fact that Houston may not be able to afford to keep Eason beyond 2025-26 -- when his contract expires.

Sheppard is still a question mark, as he's unproven. He had some moments last season but played sparingly. Clint Capela was a signing that virtually everyone questioned, since the team already had Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams in the fray.

The picks would be a legitimate blow, as the picks are owned by way of Suns, who are rebuilding and won't be trotting out a good team. But neither pick is guaranteed to land a player of Maxey's caliber.

The draft is always a crapshoot.

Again, Philadelphia likely wouldn't do this deal, as they'll be sure to hold onto Maxey, but this is an intriguing proposal.