<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/nba-rumors-will-rockets-get-in-on-ja-morant-trade-talks-with-fred-vanvleet-out');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Will Rockets get in on Ja Morant trade talks with Fred VanVleet out?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ja-Morant-12-dribbles-the-ball-during-the-first-quarter-against-the-Houston-Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Will Rockets get in on Ja Morant trade talks with Fred VanVleet out?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-05T09:44:38-08:00">November 5th, 9:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-05T09:44:38-08:00">November 5th, 9:44am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the Houston Rockets prepare for a three-game road trip beginning Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, speculation has resurfaced regarding a potential blockbuster trade involving star guard Ja Morant. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/fred-vanvleet-injury-blessing-disguise-rockets-amen-thompson-reed-sheppard">Fred VanVleet still sidelined due to a torn ACL</a>, some have questioned whether the Rockets could pursue Morant if the Grizzlies explored moving the 26-year-old.</p><p>In a recent report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Houston was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6779151/2025/11/05/ja-morant-grizzlies-future-relationship/" rel="noopener">briefly linked to the idea</a>. While confirming other teams like the Timberwolves and Kings could enter potential trade discussions if Morant were to become available, Amick stated that the Rockets are “unlikely to pursue him,” according to a team source.</p><p>“The Minnesota Timberwolves, per a team source, are one. Ditto for the Sacramento Kings,” Amick wrote. “The Grizzlies’ next opponent, the Houston Rockets, need a point guard after losing Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL in the preseason but, per a team source, are unlikely to pursue him.”</p><p>Morant is currently in his seventh NBA season and remains under contract through the 2028–29 campaign. Through seven games, he is averaging 20.4 points, 7.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and one steal per game while shooting a career-low 39.3% from the field and 13.9% from beyond the arc across 29.4 minutes per game.</p><h2><b>Ja Morant’s strained ties with Grizzlies spark trade speculation ahead of Rockets matchup</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ja-Morant-12-dribbles-the-ball-as-Houston-Rockets-forward-Amen-Thompson-1-defends.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-tuomas-iisalo-ja-morant-moving-incident-that-led-suspension">Tensions between Morant and the Grizzlies’ coaching staff</a> have recently made headlines. In the team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morants-unhappy-reaction-weird-game-vs-lakers">117–112 NBA Cup loss to the Los Angeles Lakers</a>, Morant shot just 3-for-14 from the field and finished with eight points, seven assists, and one rebound. After the game, he voiced frustration when asked about the loss, directing reporters to “go ask the coaching staff” and sarcastically suggesting they “probably don’t play me.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-ja-morant-suspended-one-game-after-going-off-on-coaches">Morant was suspended for one game</a> following the remarks and returned in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-opens-up-relationship-memphis-suspension">114–106 loss to the Detroit Pistons</a>. In his return, he recorded 18 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and a steal while shooting 5-for-16. When asked if his issues with the coaching staff were resolved, Morant responded evasively: “Yeah. They (coaching staff) told y’all that, right?”</p><p>He also acknowledged a lack of enjoyment in his current situation, replying <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-did-ja-morant-just-hint-at-potential-move-with-lack-of-joy-admission">“no” when asked if he still felt his usual joy</a>, and added, “we’ll see,” when asked how he might get it back.</p><p>Despite the ongoing drama, any trade involving Morant would likely require a significant package. The Rockets, who are 4–2 and riding a three-game winning streak, have managed well without VanVleet. Houston’s offense has thrived behind Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant, and the organization appears committed to building around its current core.</p><p>Still, as the Rockets and Grizzlies prepare to face off Wednesday night at FedExForum at 8:00 p.m. ET, all eyes will be on Morant’s demeanor and performance — and whether Houston’s front office begins to reconsider its stance if Memphis entertains offers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Will Rockets get in on Ja Morant trade talks with Fred VanVleet out?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/fred-vanvleet-injury-blessing-disguise-rockets-amen-thompson-reed-sheppard');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Fred VanVleet’s injury is a blessing in disguise for Rockets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Fred-VanVleets-injury-is-a-blessing-in-disguise-for-the-Rockets.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Fred VanVleet’s injury is a blessing in disguise for Rockets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-29T13:09:33-07:00">October 29th, 1:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-29T13:09:33-07:00">October 29th, 1:09pm</time><address><a>Luke Mauro</a>Luke Mauro is a sports journalist based in Houston who covers the Rockets for ClutchPoints. Luke has covered sports for nearly two decades, including the Rockets for the last three years. His life consists of sports, music and Seinfeld.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For a team with championship aspirations, losing your veteran point guard right before the season starts feels like a nightmare. So much so, that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-optimistic-acl-injury-return-outlook">injury to Fred VanVleet</a> shaved three victories off the Houston Rockets’ projected win total in Vegas.</p><p>VanVleet was the Rockets’ most valuable postseason performer last year, and the most experienced guard on this roster. Without him, Houston has had to turn to Amen Thompson learning the position and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-bill-simmons-rips-reed-sheppard-awful-performance-key-role">second-year player Reed Sheppard</a>, who barely played last season after going No. 3 in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Rockets were just 11-11 in games VanVleet missed last season.</p><p>Through the first week of this season, <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/team/11/team#tab-four_factors" rel="noopener">things looked pretty ugly</a>. Houston entered this week last in pace, first in turnovers per game, 26th in assist rate, second-worst in field goal percentage, and second-lowest in points per 100 half-court plays (83.7), according to Cleaning the Glass. Yikes.</p><p>Even the defense, Houston’s calling card a year ago, has suffered — slipping from fifth last season to 12th this year.</p><p>Still, it’s an injury that could serve as a blessing in disguise. This short-term pain could create long term gains that actually push the Rockets closer to championship contention.</p><h2><b>Reed Sheppard finally gets his chance</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Bill-Simmons-rips-Reed-Sheppards-%E2%80%98awful-performance-in-key-role-for-Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Without VanVleet, the Rockets have been forced to rip the band-aid off with Sheppard to see what he can develop into, a year after being selected third overall. While all other lottery picks played north of 1,000 minutes as rookies last year, Sheppard mustered only 654.</p><p>Now, his minutes per game have already doubled this season as Houston tries to answer the important question of finding out what it has in the former Kentucky standout. Even if Sheppard proves inadequate in his new role, it’s better to learn that now than delaying the inevitable.</p><p>This is much like the Minnesota Vikings, who chose to move on from both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones this offseason (currently a combined 12-3 on their new first-place teams), to figure out what they had in second year quarterback J.J. McCarthy.</p><p>VanVleet, like Darnold and Jones, is a good veteran player, but he isn’t a franchise changer. We already know that. This forced the Vikings to go back to the drawing board in search of one at the quarterback position. And VanVleet’s absence is now forcing the Rockets to do the same thing: explore if Sheppard could become that difference maker.</p><h2><b>Amen Thompson increases role</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Rockets-guard-Amen-Thompson-vs-Hawks-in-preseason.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Furthermore, the injury has also forced Houston to slide Amen Thompson, one of the more exciting young players in the league, to point guard. With his elite athleticism and ability to get to the rim, the move could ultimately better serve both Thompson and the Rockets. It’s a transition that Houston might only have fallen into due to the injury.</p><p>Things looked pretty promising in Monday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets (all Nets caveats considered), when Thompson and Sheppard combined for 16 assists, compared to only two turnovers (both from Sheppard). It’s exactly what Houston would be hoping for from this “point guard by committee,” as head coach Ime Udoka calls it. It’s also something VanVleet would rarely be able to provide on his own, as he recorded just one 12-assist game last season.</p><p>“It’s not all going to be perfect,” VanVleet told media this week. “We don’t want to be perfect in October and November. We want to be great at the end of the season. So I think Reed’s finding some aggressiveness, some chippiness, a little bit of fight. Amen is obviously being himself. He’s trying to wear a lot hats and do a lot of different things. It’s all gonna be a work in progress.”</p><p>“Both of these guys are students of the game and two of the hardest workers that I know and see,” VanVleet added. “There’s no way that they can fail.”</p><p>But, the most important development has been the decision to run the offense through Alperen Sengun. His playmaking and vastly improved outside shooting have elevated him into a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-alperen-sengun-stat-line-not-seen-nba-history">true MVP candidate</a>.</p><p>Sengun, previously dubbed “Baby Jokic,” is the same age (23) as Nikola Jokic was when he made his first All-Star appearance and won his first MVP award. With averages of 6.7 assists per game (17th in the NBA) and a career-high 58.3% from 3-point range, Sengun has become a complete offensive player, capable of doing everything Jokic does. It’s the next, and perhaps final, step of his progression and ascent to stardom.</p><p>And while these developments may not occur if VanVleet were healthy, they might just be exactly what Houston needs to reach the championship level it’s so desperately chasing.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Fred VanVleet’s injury is a blessing in disguise for Rockets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-optimistic-acl-injury-return-outlook');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Fred VanVleet offers optimistic ACL injury return outlook');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/VanVleet-vs-the-Warriors.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Fred VanVleet offers optimistic ACL injury return outlook</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T11:54:30-07:00">October 27th, 11:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T11:54:30-07:00">October 27th, 11:54am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-helps-coach-houston-practice-season-opening-loss-thunder">Houston Rockets have gotten</a> off to a rough start to the 2025-26 NBA season, currently sitting at 0-2 after their recent home loss <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/detroit-pistons/pistons-news-jalen-duren-ejected-scuffle-amen-thompson">to the Detroit Pistons</a>. Kevin Durant has had no problems integrating to his new threads, but the Rockets’ lack of a true point guard has been a glaring issue thus far this season.</p><p>The man who was supposed to fill that role was Fred VanVleet, but unfortunately, the former NBA champion went down with a torn ACL injury shortly before the season started.</p><p>Recently, VanVleet got 100% real on <a href="https://x.com/TheRocketsWire/status/1982841644614598924" rel="noopener">his state of mind</a> as he recovers from the injury</p><p>“No timeline. Taking it slow, day by day. We’ll see where we’re at by the end of the year,” said VanVleet, per The Rockets Wire on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>The account also noted that the Rockets have not ruled VanVleet out for the year.</p><p>The Rockets’ lack of a player who can orchestrate the offense and get everyone the ball in their spot has been a clear issue through two games. Although Reed Sheppard can theoretically fulfill that role, his severe limitations on the defensive end of the floor have clearly diminished head coach Ime Udoka’s trust in him thus far.</p><h2><b>An interesting Rockets team</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Rockets-Kevin-Durant-with-hands-on-hips.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Still, it should be noted that the Rockets have played the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and a playoff team in the Detroit Pistons thus far, so their 0-2 start should by no means be a cause for panic.</p><p>The Rockets are filled with elite, lengthy athletes who can cause disruptions on the defensive end of the floor while having immense shot creation on offense, and it would figure to be only a matter of time before the team figures out how to best play alongside one another.</p><p>In any case, the Rockets will have a good chance to get into the win column for the first time this season when they host the winless Brooklyn Nets on Monday evening. That game is slated to get underway at 8:00 PM ET from Houston.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Fred VanVleet offers optimistic ACL injury return outlook

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-helps-coach-houston-practice-season-opening-loss-thunder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Fred VanVleet helps coach Rockets practice after season opening loss vs. Thunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Rockets-guard-Fred-VanVleet.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Fred VanVleet helps coach Rockets practice after season opening loss vs. Thunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T12:38:37-07:00">October 23rd, 12:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T12:38:37-07:00">October 23rd, 12:38pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After the Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-fans-wild-ending-kevin-durant-rockets-debut-thunder">Rockets lost a double-overtime season-opening thriller</a> — 125-124 — to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Fred VanVleet went into coach mode. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-torn-acl-2025-26-season">VanVleet tore his ACL during an offseason mini-camp</a> and is expected to miss the entire regular season. Still, without physically partaking in all of the action, he made his presence felt on the court.</p><p>VanVleet <a href="https://twitter.com/danielle_lerner/status/1981411269166191066" rel="noopener">offered advice to his teammates</a> on the floor, per Rockets beat writer Danielle Lerner.</p><p>“Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who is out after ACL surgery, is on the court at the end of practice giving teammates pointers on a pick-and-roll drill. Not wearing a visible brace on his knee,” Lerner reported.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who is out after ACL surgery, is on the court at the end of practice giving teammates pointers on a pick-and-roll drill. Not wearing a visible brace on his knee. <a href="https://t.co/xlPG01wmbE">pic.twitter.com/xlPG01wmbE</a></p><p>— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) <a href="https://twitter.com/danielle_lerner/status/1981411269166191066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Clinging onto a two-point lead toward the end of regulation, the Rockets nearly picked up their first win of the season on Opening Night at the Paycom Center before Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had other plans. The reigning MVP sent the game into overtime, capping off a 12-point fourth quarter before leading the Thunder to a one-point win in double overtime with 35 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals.</p><p>Alperen Sengun was extraordinary with his team-high 39 points, including 5-of-8 from deep, 11 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block to lead Houston. Kevin Durant finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in his Rockets debut.</p><h2><b>Should the Rockets trade for a new point guard?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Rockets-guard-Amen-Thompson_04414b.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With the Rockets’ starting point guard, Fred VanVleet, on the mend, many believe the team is missing a veteran point guard’s presence to guide a talented, dynamic group of players, led by All-Stars Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant. Amen Thompson took over the point guard duties against the Thunder on Opening Night.</p><p>He finished with 18 points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal, one block, and four turnovers. Despite his 0-for-7 from deep, Thompson fared well in his newfound role. However, he’s going to need more help from Reed Sheppard and Josh Okogie off the bench.</p><p>However, trading for a valuable point guard without giving up one of coach Ime Udoka’s tight nine-man rotation won’t be easy. Udoka will most likely have to make do with the roster he has, which includes Aaron Holiday, who received a healthy DNP on Tuesday.</p><p>The Rockets will host the Pistons in their regular-season home opener on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fred VanVleet helps coach Rockets practice after season opening loss vs. Thunder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-why-houston-cant-sign-spencer-dinwiddie-to-replace-fred-vanvleet');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Rockets can’t sign Spencer Dinwiddie to replace Fred VanVleet');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Spencer-Dinwiddie-drives-past-Dallas-Mavericks-guard-Klay-Thompson-in-the-first-half.jpg"><figcaption>Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Rockets can’t sign Spencer Dinwiddie to replace Fred VanVleet</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-16T13:42:10-07:00">October 16th, 1:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-16T13:42:10-07:00">October 16th, 1:42pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets will not be able to pursue veteran guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-charlotte-waives-spencer-dinwiddie-3-months-after-signing-him">Spencer Dinwiddie following his release from the Charlotte Hornets</a>, due to <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1978904141448495372" rel="noopener">hard-cap restrictions triggered</a> earlier this offseason.</p><p>Dinwiddie, an 11-year NBA veteran, was waived by Charlotte on Thursday just days before the 2025–26 regular season tips off. Despite losing starting point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL suffered during an offseason workout, the Rockets are unable to sign Dinwiddie or any veteran on a minimum deal at this time.</p><p>According to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel, Houston is approximately $1.2 million below the first apron hard-cap, which is set at $195,945,000. Signing Dinwiddie would push the team’s payroll over that mark, which is prohibited under the league’s collective bargaining agreement for hard-capped teams.</p><p>Siegel wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Houston must navigate VanVleet’s absence <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1978904873228816597" rel="noopener">using internal depth and two-way contracts</a>.</p><p>“The only way Houston can navigate FVV’s injury, for the time being, is with the players on their roster and two-way contracts,” he wrote. “JD Davison and Kevon Harris are both guards who will see some time this year at certain points. 10-day deals will come down the line, if needed.”</p><h2><b>Rockets’ payroll limits pursuit of Spencer Dinwiddie following Hornets release</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Spencer-Dinwiddie-poses-for-a-photo-during-media-day-at-Queens-University.jpg"><figcaption>Sep 29, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) poses for a photo during media day at Queens University. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rockets are currently carrying $194,689,411 in total salary, leaving no room for even a veteran minimum contract. The cap situation stems from Houston’s offseason acquisition of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/kevin-durant-trade-grades-7-teams-blockbuster">Kevin Durant in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns</a>, which triggered the hard cap at the first apron.</p><p>Dinwiddie, 32, averaged 11 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds across 79 games last season with the Dallas Mavericks. He briefly joined the Hornets this summer and appeared in two preseason games before being waived.</p><p>The Rockets had also been linked to former MVP Russell Westbrook, who remained unsigned for most of the offseason before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-russell-westbrook-joins-before-2025-26-season">reaching an agreement with the Sacramento Kings</a> on Wednesday. Westbrook, 36, averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals last season with the Denver Nuggets while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from three across 75 games.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-did-kevin-durant-hint-russell-westbrook-reunion-houston">Houston had been rumored as a potential landing spot for Westbrook</a> before VanVleet’s injury, but the team’s hard-cap limitation made a reunion with Kevin Durant impossible. Durant joined the Rockets in July as part of a seven-team blockbuster deal with Phoenix.</p><p>With limited financial flexibility, Houston will rely on its internal options, including Aaron Holiday and Jalen Green, to absorb ball-handling duties. Two-way guards JD Davison and Kevon Harris could also see increased roles early in the season.</p><p>The Rockets will open their 2025–26 campaign next Tuesday on the road against the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Peacock.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Rockets can’t sign Spencer Dinwiddie to replace Fred VanVleet

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-ime-udoka-reveals-non-traditional-plan-fred-vanvleet-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals ‘non-traditional’ plan amid Fred VanVleet’s injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ime-Udoka.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals ‘non-traditional’ plan amid Fred VanVleet’s injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-07T22:13:07-07:00">October 7th, 10:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-07T22:13:07-07:00">October 7th, 10:13pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals ‘non-traditional’ plan amid Fred VanVleet’s injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-ime-udoka-evaluating-fifth-starter-spot-fred-vanvleet-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Ime Udoka still evaluating fifth starter spot after Fred VanVleet injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fred-VanVleet-of-the-Houston-Rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets’ Ime Udoka still evaluating fifth starter spot after Fred VanVleet injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-02T12:42:01-07:00">October 2nd, 12:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-02T12:42:01-07:00">October 2nd, 12:42pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets have some questions to answer as the team is getting ramped up for the season. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-torn-acl-2025-26-season">the injury to Fred VanVleet</a>, the one question is what the Rockets will do at the point guard position, and it seems like they could have a few options at their disposal.</p><p>Head coach Ime Udoka was asked about the starting lineup and if it will be more determined by matchups or if there will be a more consistent lineup.</p><p>“It could be. Something we looked at, regardless of before Fred was [injured]. If it was something that made sense for us, but at the same time, continuity is good, and keeping guys confident and not second-guessing,” Udoka said via Lachard Binkley of Sports Illustrated. “It takes some maturity if you want to do that kind of rotational lineup, and some things are beneficial to start that.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I asked Ime Udoka with the injury to Fred and the depth especially in the front court will the starting lineup be more fluid based on matchups or a consistent five.</p><p>“ For the most part we have four guys penciled in and we’ll figure out what to with the fifth.” <a href="https://t.co/FbJPaKKILf">pic.twitter.com/FbJPaKKILf</a></p><p>— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/BinkleyHoops/status/1973823261894197528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“At the same time, guys are taking some steps and showed a lot of progress and worked extremely hard, so you want to reward that, and we’ll see what we get to. For the most part we have four guys penciled in and we’ll figure out what to with the fifth.”</p><p>The Rockets have the versatility on their roster to do some different things with their lineup, and it’ll be interesting to see what Udoka plans on doing when the season starts.</p><h2><b>What will the Rockets do at point guard this season?</b></h2><p>VanVleet was set to be an important part of the Rockets’ success this season, but with him most likely out for the year, other players will have to step up in his absence. One of the first players to come to mind is Amen Thompson, who made a big jump in his second year in the league last season. It’s uncertain if Thompson will be put into a playmaking role, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he had the ball more in his hands this season.</p><p>Another player who will have to step up is Reed Sheppard, who didn’t play much in his rookie season last year. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/reed-sheppard-prove-worth-rockets-after-fred-vanvleet-injury">Sheppard could see a lot of minutes this season</a> in a bench role or as a starter. Alperen Sengun has shown the ability to be a playmaker, and he may have the ball in his hands in the halfcourt a lot.</p><p>Scoring the ball shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the Rockets, as Kevin Durant will do most of that work.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Ime Udoka still evaluating fifth starter spot after Fred VanVleet injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fans-will-love-fred-vanvleets-hilarious-nba-media-day-take-amid-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets fans will love Fred VanVleet’s hilarious NBA Media Day take amid injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Fred-VanVleet.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets fans will love Fred VanVleet’s hilarious NBA Media Day take amid injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-29T21:16:19-07:00">September 29th, 9:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-29T21:16:19-07:00">September 29th, 9:16pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025-26 season is yet to begin but disaster has already struck for the Houston Rockets. They were heading into the new campaign with high hopes after they brought in Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns, but their point guard situation is going to be a mess after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-torn-acl-2025-26-season">Fred VanVleet suffered a torn ACL</a> during an offseason workout.</p><p>VanVleet is now hard at work towards an eventual return, although the usual timeline for recovery from a torn ACL would suggest that he’ll be missing the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign. This has then changed the flow of things for the veteran point guard, as he wasn’t present for the Rockets’ media day session on Monday.</p><p>Nevertheless, it sure does look like VanVleet is in good spirits. He posted on his official account on X (formerly Twitter) a short video documenting his rehab process while <a href="https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1972815475525496957" rel="noopener">shedding light</a> on one of the few positives of missing out on media day.</p><p>“Media day looked a lil different this year. Atleast I didn’t have to do interviews 😂 ready to see the guys compete🔥,” VanVleet wrote.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Media day looked a lil different this year. Atleast I didn’t have to do interviews 😂 ready to see the guys compete🔥 <a href="https://t.co/9a6gjg6JVN">pic.twitter.com/9a6gjg6JVN</a></p><p>— Fred VanVleet (@FredVanVleet) <a href="https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1972815475525496957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Of course, VanVleet is simply looking at the bright side of what is otherwise a very grim situation. He’s such a crucial piece of the Rockets’ system; they went 41-19 with him last year and just 11-11 with him on the mend.</p><p>VanVleet’s scoring efficiency is far from the best, and he can be such a huge culprit for when the Rockets’ offense becomes a major brickfest. But he’s like an extension of head coach Ime Udoka whenever he’s out on the hardwood, and he is a strong defensive backbone for Houston on the perimeter.</p><p>Wishing the 31-year-old floor general a speedy recovery.</p><h2><b>How do the Rockets deal with Fred VanVleet’s absence?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Houston-Rockets-point-guard-Fred-Vanvleet.jpg"><figcaption>Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>One would have to assume that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/3-rockets-trade-targets-to-help-replace-fred-vanvleet-after-acl-injury">Rockets will begin the 2025-26 season</a> with one of their in-house options stepping up as the starting point guard amid VanVleet’s absence. Amen Thompson was drafted as a point guard, but he may not fit what Houston needs from a floor general considering how challenging they could find scoring from the perimeter to be despite bringing in Durant.</p><p>Reed Sheppard looms large as a potential breakout candidate; the third overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft has been deemed as one of the best pure shooters in the NBA, but whether or not he manages to put it together enough to earn the starting point guard role in his sophomore season remains to be seen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets fans will love Fred VanVleet’s hilarious NBA Media Day take amid injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-rumors-nba-execs-make-trade-predictions-fred-vanvleet-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets rumors: NBA execs make trade predictions after Fred VanVleet injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rockets-guard-Fred-VanVleet.jpg"><figcaption>Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets rumors: NBA execs make trade predictions after Fred VanVleet injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-24T08:52:40-07:00">September 24th, 8:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-24T08:52:40-07:00">September 24th, 8:52am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets could be in a position to make a trade amid <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/fred-vanvleet-injury-impacts-rockets-place-western-conference-hierarchy">losing Fred VanVleet due to a torn ACL</a>; however, that won’t be any time soon, according to one NBA insider. It’s a tremendous blow to the Rockets ahead of a highly anticipated 2025-26 campaign. This is the season Houston is positioned to make a deep playoff run after trading for All-Star Kevin Durant and coming off a 52-win regular season.</p><p>Still, the Rockets will most likely enter the upcoming season <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alak46eaixs" rel="noopener">without making any significant trades</a>, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, who spoke to various NBA executives, said.</p><p>“So Houston is in a position right now where I talked to a bunch of executives over the last 24 hours since the injury happened. I asked, ‘What do you think Houston’s going to do?’ All of them said they’re likely going to go into the year with the team they have, play the young guys, then come December or January, that’s when you think about making moves or trades.”</p><p>That’s the most likely path for the Rockets, considering what it cost them to trade for Durant, which included Jalen Green, the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft, Dillon Brooks, and a handful of future second-round picks.</p><h2><b>Insider shoots down Rockets trade idea after Fred VanVleet injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rockets-guard-Fred-VanVleet-2.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While losing Fred VanVleet is a tremendous loss to the starting lineup, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-rumors-insider-shoots-down-fred-vanvleet-trade-idea-injury">the Rockets aren’t desperate to make a trade</a>. It’s <a href="https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/09/24/but-fred-vanvleet-still-has-a-no-trade-clause-because/86324296007/" rel="noopener">still too early</a> at this time of the year, as The Athletic’s Kelly Iko noted.</p><p>“Yeah — not at this time. I don’t. I think it’s still pretty raw in their minds. I talked to them the other day, and they said, ‘Look, this is the bed that we made. If we’re going into the season, these are the guys we’re going to battle with,’” said Iko, via HoopsHype. “Come December, you might have different conversations. Clint Capela is making a team-friendly salary — you could see something happen with that.”</p><p>All signs point to the Rockets making a move at some point in the regular season. Filling the void left in VanVleet’s absence will most likely be answered at some point.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets rumors: NBA execs make trade predictions after Fred VanVleet injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-rumors-insider-shoots-down-fred-vanvleet-trade-idea-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets rumors: Insider shoots down Fred VanVleet trade idea after injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/VanVleet-vs-the-Hawks.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rockets rumors: Insider shoots down Fred VanVleet trade idea after injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-24T08:24:35-07:00">September 24th, 8:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-24T08:24:35-07:00">September 24th, 8:24am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Tuesday, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/fred-vanvleet-injury-impacts-rockets-place-western-conference-hierarchy">Houston Rockets suffered</a> some devastating injury news when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/fred-vanvleet-injury-dooms-kevin-durant-rockets-tenure-before-begins">Fred VanVleet went down</a> with a torn ACL injury that could sideline him for the entirety of the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season. The news, initially reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, put a major dent in the hopes of a Rockets team that is looking to make some real noise in the wake of their trade for Kevin Durant.</p><p>Once word of the injury spread, fans were quick to speculate on what would come next for the Rockets, with one asking Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports <a href="https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/09/24/but-fred-vanvleet-still-has-a-no-trade-clause-because/86324296007/" rel="noopener">whether or not</a> a trade could be on the horizon.</p><p>“Yeah — not at this time. I don’t. I think it’s still pretty raw in their minds. I talked to them the other day, and they said, ‘Look, this is the bed that we made. If we’re going into the season, these are the guys we’re going to battle with,'” said Iko, via HoopsHype. “Come December, you might have different conversations. Clint Capela is making a team-friendly salary — you could see something happen with that.”</p><p>However, Iko reaffirmed that Houston is happy with what they have in the locker room.</p><p>“But outside of that, these are the guys they want in the rotation. Ime Udoka specifically handcrafted this roster, right? His identity is length, versatility, and size on the perimeter. You’ve got Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Okogie, guys like Jae’Sean Tate — you want to have as many of those guys as possible,” added Iko.</p><h2>A tough break for the Rockets</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Fred-VanVleet.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Houston Rockets were projected by many to be a legitimate threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference this year, and they very well still could be. However, the VanVleet injury certainly could throw a wrench in those plans, particularly if backup guard Reed Sheppard, who saw sporadic minutes in his rookie season last year, is unable to step into the role effectively.</p><p>In any case, the Rockets are slated to kick off their 2025 season on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 22.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets rumors: Insider shoots down Fred VanVleet trade idea after injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-zach-lowe-floats-wild-lakers-rockets-trade-fred-vanvleet-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zach Lowe floats wild Lakers-Rockets trade amid Fred VanVleet injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/akers-Austin-Reaves-Rockets-Fred-VanVleet.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Zach Lowe floats wild Lakers-Rockets trade amid Fred VanVleet injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-24T08:10:55-07:00">September 24th, 8:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-24T11:19:39-07:00">September 24th, 11:19am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ first full season of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, would they consider making a deal with the Houston Rockets amid Fred VanVleet’s ACL injury? <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-rich-paul-urges-people-appreciate-the-present-lebron-james">2025-26 could be James’ final year with the Lakers</a>. NBA insider Zach Lowe floated the potential trade idea in the wake of and VanVleet potentially missing the season.</p><p>Lowe mentioned Lakers guard Austin Reeves <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txx0LWdNn44&amp;t=1973s" rel="noopener">as a trade target</a> for the Rockets, but what would the Lakers receive in return? It’s what makes the prospect of the deal intriguing, he said, per the Bill Simmons Podcast.</p><p>“What if things just go very badly this season for Austin Reeves with the Lakers? What if it’s like you asked me to come off the bench, extension talks, you know, they couldn’t really get started because you couldn’t offer me enough, but I’m not sure like, do you really value me enough in a Luka world? LeBron is still here,” Lowe said. Is he retiring? If he’s retiring, is that good for my future in LA?</p><p>“I’m just saying, like, there’s a world in which it goes, I don’t think this is going to happen, but it’s a name that popped into my head.”</p><p>The Rockets could utilize Reaves through the offense in a manner that resembles Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat, Simmons noted.</p><p>“So, you’re running some offense through him, not as a point guard, but as like a ball, almost like how you use Herro,” Simmons said.</p><p>Zach Lowe agreed with that comparison while the Rockets lose their top facilitator in Fred VanVleet.</p><p>“Yeah, he can do that,” Lowe said.</p><p>How the Lakers fare throughout the beginning of the regular season should most likely dictate the front office’s moves in 2025-26.</p><h2><b>Rich Paul urges people to appreciate Lakers, LeBron James’ present</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Lakers-LeBron-James-1.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Lakers All-Star LeBron James is entering the final year of his contract. Ahead of his 23rd NBA season, many wonder if the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-why-robert-horry-thinks-la-should-trade-austin-reaves">Lakers will eventually trade Austin Reaves to help</a> bolster James’ supporting cast. LeBron’s agent urged everyone to <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1970237453652185500" rel="noopener">appreciate the present</a> instead of trying to guess his client’s future, he said via ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>“Seeing how this year plays out, it’s clear he’s not sure whether he has one year left. Does he have another season after that, 2026-27? I did speak to his agent, Rich Paul, at Klutch Sports today. And he told me it’s important not to worry about the future when it comes to LeBron James,” Charania said. “Just appreciate the present and also maximizing his present. And that, obviously, that onus, potentially falling on the Lakers, and what team they put around him.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"It's important not to worry about the future when it comes to LeBron James. Just appreciate the present"</p><p>Shams Charania on what Rich Paul has told him about LeBron James 😳</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPNNBA</a>)<a href="https://t.co/QgeyiXr1zG">pic.twitter.com/QgeyiXr1zG</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1970237453652185500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Lakers will begin training camp soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zach Lowe floats wild Lakers-Rockets trade amid Fred VanVleet injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/fred-vanvleet-injury-impacts-rockets-place-western-conference-hierarchy');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Fred VanVleet injury impacts Rockets’ place in Western Conference hierarchy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Imagn2_e0dba1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How Fred VanVleet injury impacts Rockets’ place in Western Conference hierarchy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-24T05:37:20-07:00">September 24th, 5:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-24T05:37:20-07:00">September 24th, 5:37am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Rockets entered the 2025 offseason as one of the league’s most intriguing contenders. After two years of steady progress under Ime Udoka and a rapid rebuild built around young talent like Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün, and Amen Thompson, the Rockets shifted into win-now mode. Their crown jewel acquisition this summer was Kevin Durant, a bold swing at championship contention that signaled they were no longer satisfied with being a feel-good playoff story.</p><p>Alongside the growth of their youth, the signing of Durant and a retooled roster were meant to position Houston at the top of the Western Conference hierarchy, shoulder-to-shoulder with the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>But just as optimism reached its peak, disaster struck. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-torn-acl-2025-26-season">Fred VanVleet, the veteran point guard</a> who had been the stabilizing force for the Rockets’ rise over the past two years, tore his ACL in an offseason workout and now faces the prospect of missing the entire 2025-26 season. For Houston, the injury is not merely the loss of a starting point guard: it’s a seismic shift in their identity, rotations, and their ability to compete at the highest level in a loaded Western Conference.</p><p>The Rockets’ aspirations haven’t vanished overnight. Durant’s arrival, the versatility of Amen Thompson, and the offensive ceiling of Şengün still give Houston the kind of talent that can overwhelm opponents on any given night. But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/3-rockets-trade-targets-to-help-replace-fred-vanvleet-after-acl-injury">VanVleet’s absence forces the franchise to confront a new reality</a>: their margin for error in a conference teeming with elite teams has shrunk dramatically. To fully understand what this means, it’s worth examining Houston’s standing both with VanVleet in the fold and without him.</p><h2><b>The Rockets with Fred VanVleet: Stability, experience, and a path to the top</b></h2><p>When VanVleet re-signed with Houston on a two-year, $50 million extension in June, it was a validation of the Rockets’ trajectory. His initial three-year deal in 2023 was seen as an aggressive overpay at the time, but his impact quickly made it worth every penny. In just two seasons, VanVleet transformed Houston from a directionless lottery team into a disciplined playoff contender. His leadership and ability to organize an offense provided the foundation upon which Udoka could build a system that blended young talent with defensive toughness.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">With Fred VanVleet out for likely the whole season, who should be the new starter for the Rockets? <a href="https://t.co/nMn5sLG7mC">pic.twitter.com/nMn5sLG7mC</a></p><p>— SleeperRockets (@SleeperRockets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SleeperRockets/status/1970513793684996548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>With VanVleet, the Rockets knew exactly what they were getting: a hard-nosed defender, a willing shooter, and a battle-tested veteran who had been to the mountaintop before with the 2019 Toronto Raptors. While his 2024-25 regular-season scoring dipped to 14.1 points per game, the lowest since 2019, he reminded everyone of his value when it mattered most.</p><p>In the playoffs, he elevated his game to nearly 19 points a night, serving as a reliable secondary scorer behind Şengün and Green while knocking down timely shots and handling defensive assignments that relieved pressure from Houston’s young wings.</p><p>His presence also anchored the Rockets in another key way: accountability. Young teams often struggle to maintain discipline, particularly in close games, but VanVleet’s voice in the locker room and his ability to steady possessions on the court kept Houston from unraveling. It was not a coincidence that the Rockets went from 22 wins in 2022-23 to 41 the following year and then from 41 to 52 last season. VanVleet gave Houston something they had been missing for years: a legitimate floor general.</p><h2><b>The Rockets without Fred VanVleet: A fragile contender facing uncertainty</b></h2><p>Now, with VanVleet sidelined, Houston enters a season where their aspirations feel both tantalizing and precarious. On paper, they still boast one of the most talented rosters in the West. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/fred-vanvleet-injury-dooms-kevin-durant-rockets-tenure-before-begins">Durant remains a transcendent offensive weapon,</a> Şengün continues to grow into one of the most versatile big men in the league, and Amen Thompson has the physical gifts to become a star. But the absence of VanVleet exposes a series of questions that the Rockets must answer quickly if they hope to remain among the elite.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">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. <a href="https://t.co/Qhf0V58DwR">pic.twitter.com/Qhf0V58DwR</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1970215754697212375?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>First and foremost, the point guard position is now unsettled. Reed Sheppard suddenly finds himself thrust into a larger role than anyone envisioned this soon. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/reed-sheppard-prove-worth-rockets-after-fred-vanvleet-injury">Sheppard has the IQ and shooting ability</a> to thrive in spurts, but asking a second-year player to quarterback a contender in the Western Conference is an enormous burden. Aaron Holiday, a solid backup, cannot realistically fill the void VanVleet leaves. That places even more weight on Amen Thompson, who now becomes the de facto lead ball handler.</p><p>While Thompson’s development curve is exciting, his defense, playmaking, and athleticism have already turned heads; his lack of a reliable jumper means defenses can sag off him in playoff settings, potentially limiting Houston’s offensive ceiling.</p><p>The Western Conference offers no breathing room. Denver, led by Nikola Jokić, remains the benchmark. Oklahoma City, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, continues to ascend and may soon control the conference outright. Teams like Minnesota, Phoenix, and even a retooled Clippers cannot be dismissed. With VanVleet, the Rockets had a claim to being on the same tier as Denver and OKC. Without him, they could slip to the second tier, battling for seeding rather than gunning for the No. 1 spot.</p><p>There is also the financial wrinkle. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted, Houston is just <a href="https://www.espn.in/nba/story/_/id/46348548/sources-rockets-fred-vanvleet-torn-acl-miss-season" rel="noopener">$1.25 million below the first apron</a>, which severely limits their flexibility to make roster moves. They cannot simply sign a veteran free agent to patch the gap, meaning any reinforcement must come via trade, a risky proposition given how much they’ve already committed to Durant and their existing core. Even if a trade is pursued, replicating VanVleet’s unique blend of experience, defensive grit, and shot-making will be difficult.</p><p>In the end, the Rockets are left straddling two realities. On one hand, they still have Durant, Şengün, and a roster that has proven it can win 50-plus games. On the other hand, the loss of VanVleet may strip them of the poise and stability that allowed them to punch above their youth and inexperience. Their ceiling remains championship-caliber, but their floor has lowered dramatically.</p><p>A season that once promised to be Houston’s coronation as a Western Conference juggernaut may now be defined by uncertainty, improvisation, and the question of whether their young stars can accelerate their growth to compensate for the absence of their steady veteran leader.</p><h2><b>Where will the Rockets be in the West?</b></h2><p>Fred VanVleet’s torn ACL is more than just a setback for the Houston Rockets; it’s a potential redefinition of their season. With him, they were poised to battle Denver and Oklahoma City for the conference’s top spot, armed with veteran leadership, championship experience, and a newly acquired superstar in Durant.</p><p>Without him, they face the prospect of relying heavily on unproven guards and hoping that their young core can accelerate its development against the league’s most battle-tested teams.</p><p>The Rockets’ place in the Western Conference hierarchy is still strong, but it is no longer unshakable. Instead of marching confidently toward contention, they now must navigate a season filled with questions. Whether those questions become opportunities for growth or stumbling blocks on the path to relevance will define Houston’s 2025-26 campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Fred VanVleet injury impacts Rockets’ place in Western Conference hierarchy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/3-rockets-trade-targets-to-help-replace-fred-vanvleet-after-acl-injury');   ga('set', 'title', '3 Rockets trade targets to help replace Fred VanVleet after ACL injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/X-Rockets-trade-targets-to-help-replace-Fred-VanVleet-after-ACL-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>3 Rockets trade targets to help replace Fred VanVleet after ACL injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-23T18:49:59-07:00">September 23rd, 6:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-23T18:49:59-07:00">September 23rd, 6:49pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Monday, the Houston Rockets were greeted with the unfortunate news of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-torn-acl-2025-26-season">point guard Fred VanVleet’s torn ACL</a> that might end up keeping him out for the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign. The Rockets have grand contending ambitions especially after they brought in Kevin Durant via a blockbuster trade that cost them Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, two major pieces of their 52-win team last season. This makes the loss of VanVleet to injury that much more devastating.</p><p>Last season, VanVleet’s impact was ever so apparent. His stats may not jump off the page, and his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-ime-udoka-gets-100-real-about-houstons-brutal-offense-in-game-1-loss-to-warriors">shooting efficiency can be downright abhorrent</a> at times, but his leadership, defense, and ability to set the table from the point of attack was crucial in getting the Rockets’ offense to acceptable levels despite the team’s lack of efficient scoring.</p><p>With VanVleet playing last year, the Rockets <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=rockets+record+24-25+with+fred+vanvleet" rel="noopener">went 41-19</a>; without him, they went 11-11 —  a difference of over 18 percentage points in win rate.</p><p>Without him, the Rockets’ depth will be tested. One would think that the Rockets would utilize Amen Thompson at the point to start the season, with Houston employing a supersized lineup with someone like Dorian Finney-Smith or Tari Eason starting in VanVleet’s place. That would put so much pressure on Durant to create from the perimeter, however, and may be an untenable situation for the Rockets.</p><p>Maybe head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/reed-sheppard-prove-worth-rockets-after-fred-vanvleet-injury">Ime Udoka rolls with Reed Sheppard</a>, the third overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, as the Rockets’ eventual starting point guard. Or maybe trusted backup Aaron Holiday gets the nod to start the year; he did shoot 39.8 percent from three last year and can be a pest defensively — functioning as a reasonable facsimile to VanVleet’s playstyle.</p><p>Nonetheless, the Rockets may want to scour the trade market for some more insurance, even though their cap situation makes that close to impossible. Here are a few trade targets that Houston can set their sights to in the meantime.</p><h2>Rockets trade for Scotty Pippen Jr.?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Scotty-Pippen-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There are a few options available for the Rockets on the free-agent market, but being just $1.2 million under the first apron hard cap they find themselves in, it is impossible to sign someone to a rest of season contract until January.</p><p>But free agency options don’t inspire much confidence anyway and don’t look like good fits in the starting lineup. The player the Rockets need must be able to space the floor considering how they’re already starting two non-shooters in Thompson and Alperen Sengun.</p><p>This <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/russell-westbrook-last-ditch-options-free-agency">rules out Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons</a>, two of the most prominent point guards left in free agency. It’s not likely as well that the Rockets would deem someone like Cameron Payne, Alec Burks, or Markelle Fultz worth opening a spot for in October when the in-house options they have are better.</p><p>With that out of the way, the Rockets must, first and foremost, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/why-grizzlies-scotty-pippen-jr-nba-sixth-man-award-most-improved-bet-odds">attempt to trade for Scotty Pippen Jr</a>.</p><p>There are no indications that the Memphis Grizzlies would want to make Pippen available; they also freed up more room for him to be the undisputed backup point guard to Ja Morant after they let Cole Anthony walk without getting anything in return.</p><p>But at the moment, the Grizzlies still have so much depth, and trading away Desmond Bane for a player package headlined by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope means that Memphis is pivoting back to a more defensive-oriented mindset while tilting control of the offense back to Morant.</p><p>The Grizzlies signed Ty Jerome this offseason after a strong, Sixth Man of the Year consideration-worthy season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Jerome, despite standing at 6’5″, is at his best when he’s able to control the basketball. Jerome and Pippen will be coming off the bench, and there might be a chance that one eats into the other’s minutes.</p><p>Pippen is more defensive-oriented and is younger than Jerome. Moreover, Pippen is under a team-friendly deal until the 2027-28 season, when he’ll be making a total of <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/78256/scotty-pippen-jr" rel="noopener">around $7.5 million</a> — around $2 million less than Thompson would make this season with the Rockets. Hence, the Grizzlies are unlikely to part ways with him, especially to a division rival.</p><p>But it’s merely due diligence for the Rockets to check in on Pippen’s availability. Pippen, <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=scotty+pippen+jr.+stats+as+starter+24-25" rel="noopener">in 21 games as a starter</a> last year, put up 14.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals a game on 53/46/75 shooting splits — giving him the statistical profile of VanVleet without all the shooting inefficiency. Over a full season, he shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from three — percentages that are much better than VanVleet’s.</p><p>Pippen is the ideal replacement for VanVleet, and considering his measly salary for the next three years, the Rockets can simply package a player making the veteran’s minimum and then attaching whatever <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/teams/Rockets/11/draft-picks" rel="noopener">draft pick compensation</a> is necessary to pry away the upstart point guard away from a division rival.</p><p>The Rockets own the Phoenix Suns’ first-round pick in 2027 and can swap their own with that of the Brooklyn Nets’ in 2027 as well, so they own a lot of appealing draft picks that could grease the wheels in a potential trade. Whether or not Houston views Pippen this highly is a different matter entirely.</p><p>But a torn ACL to a small point guard who’s already 31 years of age could mean that he’s never the same player again, and perhaps a long-term succession plan should be in order. And if the Rockets do not yet deem Sheppard ready, then Pippen could be the man for the job.</p><h2>Can Houston convince Portland to give up Scoot Henderson?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Scoot-Henderson.jpg"><figcaption>© Brian Murphy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>These trade options aren’t the most realistic for the Rockets to pursue. But considering how much draft compensation they have and how valuable those picks they own could be, then they might as well shoot for the moon.</p><p>One such improbable option is for them to trade for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-rumors-scoot-henderson-super-enthusiastic-damian-lillard-signing">Portland Trail Blazers youngster Scoot Henderson</a>.</p><p>Henderson may not start for the Blazers again this year, and at this point, it’s not quite clear when he would be deemed ready to be. He did make some strides last year, averaging 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per ballgame despite mostly coming off the bench, but he will be relegated to secondary point guard duties yet again with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-jrue-holiday-reveals-eye-opening-damian-lillard-text-rejoining-portland">arrival of veteran Jrue Holiday</a>. Next season, he’ll drift into the background further once Damian Lillard returns.</p><p>With the Rockets, a large role will be available for Henderson. But will the Blazers part ways with Henderson for a package headlined by Sheppard when Sheppard struggled mightily in his rookie season?</p><p>Henderson also has two years left on his rookie deal, while Sheppard has three, so maybe the Rockets would be the ones to say no to this considering how highly they value Sheppard and his potential as a devastating shot-creator from beyond the arc.</p><p>Nonetheless, this is just an interesting idea to pursue should the Rockets and Blazers want to explore a change of scenery for both of their talented yet flawed young point guards.</p><h2><b>Will Pacers make TJ McConnell available?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TJ-McConnell.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><p>The Rockets could make a Steven Adams and some draft picks package to entice the Indiana Pacers to give up TJ McConnell. McConnell showed in the NBA Finals that he can be so impactful when it matters the most, and he’s able to do so despite not having a quality three-point shot.</p><p>But both teams will not want to pursue this trade, even if the Pacers may need some center depth after losing Myles Turner in free agency.</p><p>For one, the Rockets’ spacing will be so cramped with McConnell on the court. McConnell, Thompson, and Sengun together would make life a headache even for someone as gifted offensively as Kevin Durant.</p><p>Meanwhile, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pacers-news-tyrese-haliburton-tj-mcconnell-admission">Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton</a> for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, so they also need guard play. And they need to lean into the goodwill they earned from their fanbase after their Cinderella 2025 NBA Finals run, and featuring a playoff hero like McConnell heavily should help keep the fans pleased in this gap season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 Rockets trade targets to help replace Fred VanVleet after ACL injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/fred-vanvleet-injury-dooms-kevin-durant-rockets-tenure-before-begins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Fred VanVleet injury dooms Kevin Durant’s Rockets tenure before it even begins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Fred-VanVleet-injury-dooms-Kevin-Durant-s-Rockets-tenure-before-it-even-begins.jpg"></figure><h1>Fred VanVleet injury dooms Kevin Durant’s Rockets tenure before it even begins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-23T08:59:26-07:00">September 23rd, 8:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-23T08:59:26-07:00">September 23rd, 8:59am</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The path to championship contention was right in front of the Houston Rockets after landing Kevin Durant in the offseason. However, a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-torn-acl-2025-26-season">torn ACL to veteran guard Fred VanVleet</a> puts a major dent in their aspirations to reach the mountaintop.</p><p>Houston was coming off its best season since moving on from the James Harden era. After missing the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, the squad finally returned in 2025 thanks to the remarkable coaching of Ime Udoka, who joined prior to the 2023-24 campaign.</p><p>They centered their talent around the likes of VanVleet, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson among others. It proved to be a success in the regular season, winning 52 games as they secured the second seed in the Western Conference.</p><p>However, their momentum came to a halt when Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors sent them packing early after an entertaining seven-game series. The series showcased a significant weakness in the Rockets’ offense, which compelled them to pursue Durant.</p><p>They acquired Durant in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and draft compensation during the summer. The move allowed them to have a reliable go-to scorer while assuring Houston would significantly improve on that side of the ball.</p><p>However, VanVleet joining the sidelines means that the Rockets lose their third-best scoring option. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game in 60 appearances last season. He shot 37.8% from the field, including 34.5% from beyond the arc, and 81% from the free throw line.</p><p>Despite his shooting inconsistencies in the regular season, he stepped up in the playoffs against the Warriors. He produced 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per contest on shooting splits of 43% overall, including 43.5% from downtown, and 100% from the charity stripe.</p><h2><b>Impact of Fred VanVleet’s injury to Kevin Durant, Rockets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Fred-VanVleet-injury-dooms-Kevin-Durants-Rockets-tenure-before-it-even-begins.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rockets yearned to take the next step of title contention after landing Kevin Durant from the Suns. However, Fred VanVleet had an important role on the team that they will now lack for most of the 2025-26 season, if not the entire year.</p><p>VanVleet not only stabilized the Rockets’ offense with his shooting and playmaking, but he also elevated it with his performances in the playoffs. He would have been the team’s safety net if Durant was having an off night and Houston needed someone to keep them in games against other title contenders.</p><p>Houston’s offense might still improve with Durant as the top scorer, having been 14th in scoring and 13th in offensive rating. However, VanVleet’s absence could impact the team in their ability to be consistent with their production throughout the course of the season.</p><p>That’s why it would be crucial for Aaron Holiday, Reed Sheppard and even Amen Thompson to assist the Rockets in a big way. They may not be able to replace VanVleet’s shooting, but they can still pick up the slack in making big plays during important stretches. The team’s title hopes will depend on it moving forward while VanVleet rehabs from his torn ACL.</p><p>The Rockets will begin the regular season on the road, facing the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fred VanVleet injury dooms Kevin Durant’s Rockets tenure before it even begins

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/houston-rockets/reed-sheppard-prove-worth-rockets-after-fred-vanvleet-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Reed Sheppard to prove worth to Rockets after Fred VanVleet injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sheppard-drives.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Reed Sheppard to prove worth to Rockets after Fred VanVleet injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-22T14:45:07-07:00">September 22nd, 2:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-22T14:45:07-07:00">September 22nd, 2:45pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Monday, the Houston Rockets got a devastating injury update when it was revealed that starting point guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-torn-acl-2025-26-season">Fred VanVleet had suffered</a> a torn ACL that could keep him out of the entire upcoming 2025-26 season. The news, first reported by NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN, immediately hangs a cloud over what had been the most <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-houston-trade-targets-2025-26-nba-season">highly anticipated Rockets season</a> in at least half a decade after the offseason addition of Kevin Durant.</p><p>With VanVleet now <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1970215754697212375" rel="noopener">on the sidelines</a>, a lot of the attention will inevitably turn to rising second-year guard Reed Sheppard, the former number three overall pick out of Kentucky. Sheppard didn’t get a lot of playing time in his rookie season under head coach Ime Udoka, who prioritized defense above all else in his lineup configurations, an area in which Sheppard is not exactly a specialist.</p><p>However, with the Rockets now effectively without a point guard, Udoka will likely have no choice but to play Sheppard extended rotational minutes this season, even if he still may have some reservations about his ability to defend.</p><h2><b>How much can Reed Sheppard contribute?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Reed-Sheppard.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Two things that Reed Sheppard should be able to contribute immediately for the Rockets are perimeter shotmaking and the ability to run the offense smoothly. Sheppard flashed both of these capabilities in his time both in the Summer League as well as in limited playing time with the Rockets this year.</p><p>While there will be growing pains along the way, Sheppard has a team with some strong veteran talent, headlined by Durant, to help show him the ropes, and he also has plenty of defensive prowess around him to help cover for him on that end of the floor.</p><p>With VanVleet out for the year, the Rockets may have to lean more heavily on Durant to initiate offense than they had hoped, as opposed to simply relying on him as a halfcourt scoring weapon, the role in which he has thrived the most throughout his career.</p><p>However, if Sheppard comes out and shows an ability to orchestrate an effective offense while holding his own on defense, the Rockets’ plans for 2025-26 may not have to be too heavily altered.</p><p>Still, the VanVleet news is certainly a major bummer for a team that has done all the right things in their rebuild and finally pushed their chips to the center of the table this summer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
14.1	3.7	5.6	0.4	1.6

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
14.1	3.7	5.6	0.4	1.6

Fred VanVleet news

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