Fred VanVleet’s Surprising New Deal with Rockets: What It Means for the Team’s Future

This is a team-friendly deal for the Rockets that gets them below the luxury tax line, helping them avoid the repeater tax. It also opens up the full .1 million mid-level exception to add more talent to the roster. For VanVleet, it’s more total money and an extra year of security.

Houston made its bold offseason move trading for Kevin Durant, it is all in on a championship but it will need the steady hand of VanVleet at the control of the offense. The Rockets also need him (and Durant) to stay healthy. VanVleet missed 22 games last season. Houston wants to make a run next season at the franchise’s first title since “This is how we do it” was still a top-10 song, but that won’t happen without Fred VanVleet as a steady hand at the point. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 assists per game, and while he shot 34.5% from 3-point range, he was inconsistent and had a 51.5 true shooting percentage, well below the league average. However, he fit in well with one of the best defenses in the league on the other end of the court.Houston’s gearing up for a big leap next season, hungry to snag a championship that’s eluded them since the days when “This Is How We Do It” was blasting through speakers everywhere . But here’s the kicker — none of that championship magic happens without Fred VanVleet steadying the ship at the point guard spot. So, the Rockets made a savvy move, declining VanVleet’s hefty .9 million player option and instead locking him down with a slick two-year, million deal. It’s a win-win: Houston dodges the luxury tax nightmare and gains flexibility to chase more talent, while VanVleet secures more total cash and an extra year on his contract—sweet security in an unpredictable league. Sure, VanVleet’s shot was a bit shakey last season, hitting 34.5% from deep and posting a modest true shooting percentage, but his defensive presence? That’s gold in Houston’s gritty lineup. And with the blockbuster addition of Kevin Durant, the Rockets are throwing down all their chips, banking on a healthy VanVleet to orchestrate one of the most potent offenses out there. The stakes are high, the pressure’s on — and honestly, I’m buzzing to see how this all shakes out.LEARN MOREWhich is why the Rockets agreed to a new two-year contract with VanVleet. The Rockets are declining VanVleet’s .9 million player option for next season and will re-sign him on a two-year, million contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.