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By Matt Audilet
Contributing Sports Writer
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Houston Rockets veteran guard Fred VanVleet is opting into his $25 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season, according to multiple reports on Monday morning.
VanVleet, a former All-Star point guard and NBA champion for the Toronto Raptors, just finished up his third year with the Rockets franchise. However, the 32-year-old veteran was sidelined for the entirety of the 2025-26 season as he continued to recovery from the season-ending ACL tear he suffered in 2024-25.
Before suffering that injury, VanVleet averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 assists per game for the Rockets. Through 133 total games in Houston, he's averaged 15.9 points and 6.9 assists per game.
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VanVleet was eager to return to the court at some point last season, but was ultimately unable to reach that milestone in his ACL recovery.
"The whole season, I'm like, 'I'm coming back,' but man, I wasn't anywhere near coming back," VanVleet said, via Rockets Wire.
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Third-year player Amen Thompson took over the Rockets' starting point guard position with VanVleet off the court, recording the best numbers of his young NBA career. He averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while finishing eighth in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Despite VanVleet's absence, the Rockets finished the 2025-26 regular season with the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. They ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the postseason, losing in six games.
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