Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and is likely to be sidelined for the entire upcoming season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Sept. 22, 2025.
The injury comes less than two months after Houston acquired Kevin Durant in a seven-team offseason trade, a move that positioned the club as a title contender.
VanVleet appeared in 60 games last season, averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 37.8 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from three-point range and 81 percent at the free-throw line.
The Rockets signed the veteran guard in 2023 to stabilize a young roster that also added Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green and head coach Ime Udoka. That group finished the 2023-24 campaign 41-41, remaining in postseason contention until the final weeks.
Houston took another step forward in 2024-25, posting a 52-30 record—the second best in the Western Conference—before falling to the Golden State Warriors in a tightly contested first-round playoff series.
In the trade that brought Durant to Houston, the Rockets sent Brooks and guard Jalen Green to the Phoenix Suns. VanVleet’s absence now leaves the team without its primary floor leader as training camp approaches.
Source: Hoops Wire
