Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet has torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and is expected to miss the entire 2025–26 NBA season, Afrosport reports.
The 31-year-old sustained the injury during an offseason workout, a major blow for the Rockets as they prepare for the new NBA campaign.
VanVleet has been central to Houston’s resurgence since joining in the summer of 2023, helping the franchise end their four-year playoff drought. In his first year, he guided the team from 22 wins to 41, before last season’s 52 victories secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Although his 2024–25 regular season scoring dipped to 14.1 points per game – his lowest since 2018–19 – he stepped up in the playoffs, averaging 18.7 points per game.
The one-time All-Star signed a two-year, $50 million extension with Houston in June, which includes a player option for the 2026–27 season.
Just in: Houston Rockets’ Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn ACL, sources tell ESPN. A devastating, potentially season-ending loss for the Rockets with their starting point guard and leader. pic.twitter.com/Qhf0V58DwR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2025
With VanVleet sidelined, the Rockets will now lean on Reed Sheppard, Aaron Holiday, and rising two-way guard Amen Thompson to handle duties at the point.
Over his nine-year NBA career, the 2019 NBA champions has averaged 14.9 points and 5.7 assists.
Houston will play four preseason games — facing the Atlanta Hawks twice, along with the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans — before opening their regular season on the road against reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder, in what will also mark a reunion for All-Star forward Kevin Durant.
