The new-look Houston Rockets’ 2026 NBA championship hopes took a hit when news broke last week that starting point guard Fred VanVleet suffered a torn right ACL. The untimely injury, which occurred during a minicamp in the Bahamas, will likely sideline the one-time All-Star for the entire 2025-26 campaign. Amid the uncertainty, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley pitched a bold midseason trade that could fill Houston’s backcourt void.
After adding superstar forward Kevin Durant to last season’s second-seeded Western Conference squad (52-30) in early July, the Rockets appeared poised to take another step. They could have one of the league’s premier trios between Durant, star center Alperen Şengün, and ascending two-way wing Amen Thompson.
While VanVleet is coming off a down year in terms of scoring (14.1 points per game) and efficiency (37.8%), he remains the upstart team’s only proven guard playmaker. The 2019 NBA champion’s high-volume 3-point shooting, leadership, and feisty defense have also proven vital to Houston’s turnaround since he arrived in 2023 free agency.
Even so, Buckley believes the Rockets should consider moving on from VanVleet and his newly signed two-year, $50 million extension in favor of immediate help in Durant’s age-37 campaign.
How Can the Blockbuster Deal Solve the Rockets’ Point Guard Woes?
In his Wednesday article titled “Trade Packages and Landing Spots for Top 10 NBA Trade Assets,” Buckley proposed a splashy trade that would send Philadelphia 76ers star point guard Tyrese Maxey to Houston. In exchange, the franchise would part with two of its top young prospects, VanVleet’s contract, draft capital, and salary filler.
Proposed Trade
Rockets Receive: Tyrese Maxey and Eric Gordon
76ers Receive: Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Fred VanVleet, Clint Capela, a 2027 first-round pick (via PHO), and a 2029 first-round pick (most favorable of HOU, DAL, and PHO)
Buckley foresees such a bold shake-up materializing if the Rockets underperform with Sheppard, last year’s No. 3 pick, and Thompson occupying increased ball-handling roles.
“If things are looking really bleak through the first couple of months, maybe Houston feels it has to hit the trade market to find someone who can salvage this season,” Buckley wrote.
According to the analyst, landing Maxey, who averaged 26.1 ppg over his last two seasons, would be optimal for Durant and Co.
“Someone like Maxey. While he’d be awfully hard to pry out of Philadelphia, he’d be all-caps GREAT if the asset-rich Rockets could pull it off,” Buckley speculated.
“He’s a star in his own right, but the fact that he can play on or off the ball means he’s built to shine bright alongside other stars, like Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün. That’s a terrifying-on-paper trio on the offensive end, and remember, the Rockets had the fifth-best defense this past season.”
However, Buckley noted that such a move would hinge on Philadelphia deciding to pivot away from its injury-riddled Joel Embiid-led core and embrace a rebuild.
“Since this deal couldn’t go down until mid-December, and, notably, would require VanVleet’s approval, since he has an implied no-trade clause, that’s just enough time for the Sixers to potentially realize that their current core is doomed,” Buckley reasoned.
“They might have to start considering their long-term future, one that might be navigable without Maxey, depending on how the front office feels about Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe, and a potentially re-signed Quentin Grimes.”
In such a scenario, the writer foresees Sheppard, Eason, and multiple first-round picks possibly piquing the 76ers’ interest.
“If the Sixers decide they can’t make this work, or, at the very least, aren’t contenders this season, then they might pounce on a couple of building blocks in Sheppard and Eason, plus the juicy, unprotected firsts they’d be getting here,” Buckley theorized.
That said, even in the event of another underwhelming season, Philadelphia could be inclined to hold onto Maxey long-term. The one-time All-Star is only 24 and entering the second season of his five-year, $203,852,600 extension, with room to grow into a franchise-caliber player. As such, he may be more of a pipe dream target for the Rockets.
