The Houston Rockets were hit with bad news even before the regular season started after Fred VanVleet tore his ACL this past offseason. Initial reports suggested that he could miss the rest of the 2025-26 season, but there is a chance he might return much earlier than expected.
There is still no certainty on when VanVleet will make his return to action. An update from one league insider sheds some light on his situation, giving a rough estimate on when he could make a comeback.
League Insider Shares an Update on Fred VanVleet’s Recovery
Of course, the Rockets are remaining cautious, and the possibility of VanVleet missing this whole campaign remains a possibility. Insider Marc Stein wrote about what to expect regarding the Rockets’ point guard on the latest edition of “The Stein Line.”
“The Rockets certainly won’t be guaranteeing a return in 2025-26 after VanVleet’s unfortunate knee tear during a team mini-camp in the Bahamas before training camp, but they also aren’t completely ruling it out either,” Stein wrote.
On VanVleet’s end, he is reportedly making an effort to be ready for action before the end of the campaign, as per Stein.
“Word is VanVleet is working as hard as possible in his rehab from injury to at least put a late-season return on the table,” the insider further mentioned.
Despite not having VanVleet in the rotation, the Rockets have managed to put together a respectable 21-11 record to this point. Still, they would not mind having the veteran point guard leading the team on the court.
The team is only in the middle of the pack when it comes to creating opportunities for others. They have the 18th highest assists-per-game average as a team, with 25.7 per game, led by Alperen Sengun’s 6.5 dimes per contest. The team’s average could easily climb higher with the veteran point guard in the rotation.
VanVleet is not an elite distributor, but he can get his teammates involved. He has averaged 5.7 assists per game through his nine-year career, but he has also shown that he can be a reliable playmaker for the Rockets.
During his first season in Houston, he averaged a career-best 8.1 assists per game. This dipped to only 5.6 last season, but it’s proof that he can facilitate for his team.
Additionally, he provides much-needed veteran leadership on the court. He is one of three Rockets players to have made an All-Star team in the past, along with Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun.
He also has valuable championship experience, having been part of the Toronto Raptors squad that toppled the Golden State Warriors in 2019. If he does make a return this season, this already formidable Rockets squad will become an even bigger threat this postseason.
