VanVleet to miss 2025-26 season with ACL tear, Rockets turn to youth

Fred VanVleet will miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 NBA season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during an offseason workout in the Bahamas, the Rockets announced, dealing a major late blow to a team that retooled aggressively this summer around newly acquired star Kevin Durant. The injury came just days before training camp and leaves Houston without the veteran floor general it expected to pair with Durant and an ascending young core.

VanVleet averaged about 14 points and 5.6 assists last season and was a key on- and off-ball organizer for coach Ime Udoka’s system. Torn ACLs typically require eight to 10 months of recovery, so the club is preparing for a prolonged absence. VanVleet posted a video from the hospital expressing determination, saying in part, "We gon get that Houston ring," and later showed himself walking on crutches.

Salary-cap constraints limit Houston’s immediate options. The Rockets sit roughly 1.2 million under the league’s first apron hard cap, leaving them unable to sign a veteran-minimum free agent without clearing salary. League rules also make many recent signings and offseason additions ineligible to be traded until...