HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 30: Fred VanVleet #5 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 30, 2025 in Houston, Texas.

Rockets' VanVleet exercising $25M player option

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Alex Slitz / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet is opting in to his $25-million player option for the 2026-27 season, agent Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania.

VanVleet missed the entire 2025-2026 campaign after suffering a torn ACL during an offseason workout in late September. He signed a two-year, $25-million contract with Houston a few months before sustaining the season-ending injury.

The 32-year-old has been with the Rockets since joining them in July of 2023. He's started 133 games during his Houston tenure, averaging 15.9 points and 6.9 assists per contest. His 8.1 assists per game during the 2023-2024 season ranked seventh across the NBA.

Houston struggled to find a consistent floor general without VanVleet last year, finishing 23rd in team assists.

The Wichita State product entered the NBA as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Toronto Raptors and was a key cog in the franchise hoisting its first Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2019.

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