What Fred VanVleet's Significant Injury Means for the Houston Rockets' Season

Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet suffered a torn ACL, per Shams Charania.

Just in: Houston Rockets' Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn ACL, sources tell ESPN. A devastating, potentially season-ending loss for the Rockets with their starting point guard and leader. pic.twitter.com/Qhf0V58DwR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2025

The injury will likely rule VanVleet out for the entire 2025-2026 season, both regular season and playoffs. VanVleet had started all 133 of his appearances for the Rockets since the start of the 2023-2024 season, and was set to be the team's starter next season as well.

Over those 133 games, he's averaged 15.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game while holding 40 / 36.9 / 84.2 percent shooting splits.

VanVleet received a two-year, $50 million extension this summer heading into his 10th NBA season. Now, his salary will essentially act as dead money instead.

It's clear the Rockets were going all in on a potential championship run, adding Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela to the squad, so VanVleet's injury certainly derails it, but how exactly?

A new starting lineup

The Rockets had thin depth at the point guard position behind VanVleet, primarily relying on spot-minute veteran Aaron Holiday and former No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, Reed Sheppard.

Holiday hasn't eclipsed 20 minutes per game since his 2019-2020 season with the Indiana Pacers, and has never started 40 games in a season. He's been successful as a backup combo guard at most of his stints, including the Rockets, as he's averaged 6.1 points per game while shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range across two seasons.

Sheppard has been expected by many –– both in and out of the organization –– to take a large leap for the 2025-2026 season. He was originally slated to step into the role of a lead backup guard, but could be thrust into starting lineups throughout the season.

He's shown impressive defensive chops in his career, but has struggled to find a offensive role with the organization. However, when given the chance of higher-usage opportunities, he's had high-offensive outputs, including two 20-point performances when eclipsing 30 minutes.

However, both Sheppard and Holiday are unproven in starting roles, making it a risky bet for the Rockets en route to completing their championship aspirations.

Alternatives could be to hand the full-time point guard responsibilities in light of VanVleet's injury, as Thompson has already played a larger role in his first two seasons than either Sheppard or Holiday have. Thompson averaged 3.8 assists per game last season, and could now see that number increase, should he take on part of VanVleet's role.

Lastly, the Rockets could check in around the league for external options. There are only 29 days until Houston's season opener, meaning bringing in a new point guard could feel a bit rushed. However, big-time moves have been made late in the offseason in recent years, such as the Knicks trading for Karl-Anthony Towns.

In all, VanVleet has been a culture-shifter for Houston, helping bring the team out of its rebuild phase and into serious playoff contention. His loss won't go unnoticed for the 2025-2026 season, but there's a few options the Rockets could turn to in efforts to replace him.