For Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, there was one special thing he missed this season that led to his disappointing results: Fred VanVleet.
After trading for Kevin Durant over the summer, the Rockets were viewed as a serious threat to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. And why not? They were a young, talented, defensive-driven team that missed a late-game finisher in 2024-25.
But just before the season began, nine-year veteran VanVleet suffered an ACL injury during a September practice. Although it was a notable loss, most NBA experts believed that the Rockets still had enough talent to remain a force in the West under head coach Ime Udoka. However, despite looking strong early on, they slipped as the season progressed.
They finished the campaign as the fifth seed in the West, and were surprisingly eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs by a Los Angeles Lakers team without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for most of the series.
Fred VanVleet says the Rockets' biggest problem in 2025-26 was not having Fred VanVleet
After their disappointing defeat in the playoffs, there has been much speculation as to what went wrong. However, it seems VanVleet believes his absences were the biggest reason for his disappointment in 2025-26 and that next season will be much better.
"I know what I bring to the table and I know having me on the team will make us a better team," he said in a new video on his YouTube page. “It's been the same for me on every team I've ever been on. Before you get to the game, I'm going to make the team better by being available, being around and bringing my energy.
"My leadership and competitiveness, that's what it's all about. I try to make everything I touch better," he said. "That's my mentality. I'm not saying I do that, or I don't, but that's how I look at it when I go in."
The one-time All-Star has a $25.5 million player option for next season. From his comments it appears he is likely to exercise or fully expect to sign a new long-term deal for less money annually.
