NBA star is set to miss the entire 2025-26 season after a devastating injury blow.
The player suffered a torn ACL during a recent offseason workout.
Fred VanVleet will miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season after suffering a major injury[/caption]
VanVleet tore his ACL during an offseason practice[/caption]
Fred VanVleet, who has helped revitalise the Houston Rockets, will likely miss the entire NBA season.
VanVleet joined the Rockets in 2023 and made an instant impact.
He helped the side move from 22 wins to 41 after signing a three-year deal in the summer.
Houston then ended their four-year postseason drought last season as they won 52 games.
They were the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
He has since signed a two-year, $50 million extension in June.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Houston will be unable to fill their open roster spot with a free agent.
This is because they are only $1.25 million below the salary cap.
This leaves Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday in the spotlight, alongside two-way dynamo Amen Thompson.
In his career, Fred VanVleet averages 14.9 points and 5.7 assists per game.
The guard is all grit and hustle, locking down on defense and firing from deep with the ball.
He launched 7.7 threes a game last season, the second-highest on the squad.
Usually, his efficiency is a strength, but he shot under 40% for just the fourth time in his career, and his lowest since his rookie year.
The nine-year veteran joined the league in 2016 with the Toronto Raptors.
He went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, having declined two offers to agree to play in the G League.
He spent two seasons with the Raptors 905 before managing to boost his profile.
He was crucial as a bench player in the Raptors’ championship-winning side in 2018-19.
He was nominated for the Sixth Man of the Year award the season prior, and in 18-19 helped the franchise win its first NBA title ever.
He set an NBA Finals record with 16 three-pointers made off the bench, surpassing the previous record of 15.
His highest PPG in a season is 20.3 in 2021-22, but it has been declining each year since.
