TITLE: Rockets Will Apply for Disabled Player Exception After Fred VanVleet’s Season-Ending Injury
SLUG: rockets-seek-disabled-player-exception-fred-vanvleet-injury
CONTENT:
HOUSTON — The Rockets plan to file for a Disabled Player Exception in the wake of guard Fred VanVleet’s season-ending knee injury, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports.
If the NBA grants the request, Houston would receive an exception worth $12.5 million—half of VanVleet’s $25 million salary. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the provision allows a club to sign, trade for, or claim a player on a one-year contract up to that amount without tapping into salary-cap space.
Approval hinges on an NBA-appointed physician determining that VanVleet is substantially more likely than not to remain sidelined through at least June 15. The 30-year-old guard underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee just over a month ago and is expected to miss the entire season.
VanVleet spoke with reporters Monday for the first time since the procedure, acknowledging the setback came at an inopportune moment. “I was probably in the best shape of my life,” he said, via the Houston Chronicle. “So it was definitely disheartening to get hurt at that stage before the season.”
Signed by Houston in 2023, VanVleet has served as the team’s primary floor general for the past two seasons. While he said no specific timetable has been set for his recovery, the veteran expressed confidence in his eventual return. “I’m gonna come back a much better person and player,” he noted. “Building yourself back from ground zero makes you stronger. I have no doubt I’ll come back better.”
VanVleet holds a $25 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign.
Source: Hoops Wire
