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When the NBA’s 2026-27 season begins in October, all indications are that Fred VanVleet will return to his previous spot as starting point guard for the Houston Rockets.
Barring a setback, that would include medical clearance from the team’s doctors to resume his usual workload.
“Signs point to VanVleet being ready to start for Houston from the jump,” Houston Chronicle beat writer Varun Shankar wrote in a story published Wednesday.
“The veteran point guard will be about a year removed from his torn ACL and meniscus when the Rockets begin training camp.”
Neither VanVleet nor the Rockets ruled out a return in the 2025-26 season, but that would have required a historically short ACL recovery window of seven months or less. Thus, it was inherently unlikely.
The average timeline for NBA players is between nine and 12 months, and the start of 2026-27 training camp will come just after the long end of that average timeline passes.
VanVleet, 32, averaged 15.9 points (36.9% on 3-pointers), 6.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game over his two playing seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25) with the Rockets.
He was also excellent at limiting turnovers (1.6 in 36.1 minutes per game), and he remains well respected for his abilities on defense and as a leader, as well.
Assuming VanVleet is medically cleared, Houston’s likely starters for the 2026-27 campaign are VanVleet, Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.
Key reserves who will likely feature in Ime Udoka’s playing rotation include Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Steven Adams, and recently signed guard Marcus Smart.
Houston is coming off consecutive years with 52-30 regular-season records before losing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Internally, the hope is that pairing Durant with a proven floor general such as VanVleet can mitigate the team’s issues with turnovers and late-game execution last season.
More: Rockets sign veteran guard Marcus Smart to two-year, $13-million deal
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Report: Rockets guard Fred VanVleet remains on course for 2026-27 season
Continue reading...
Barring a setback, that would include medical clearance from the team’s doctors to resume his usual workload.
“Signs point to VanVleet being ready to start for Houston from the jump,” Houston Chronicle beat writer Varun Shankar wrote in a story published Wednesday.
“The veteran point guard will be about a year removed from his torn ACL and meniscus when the Rockets begin training camp.”
Neither VanVleet nor the Rockets ruled out a return in the 2025-26 season, but that would have required a historically short ACL recovery window of seven months or less. Thus, it was inherently unlikely.
The average timeline for NBA players is between nine and 12 months, and the start of 2026-27 training camp will come just after the long end of that average timeline passes.
VanVleet, 32, averaged 15.9 points (36.9% on 3-pointers), 6.9 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game over his two playing seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25) with the Rockets.
He was also excellent at limiting turnovers (1.6 in 36.1 minutes per game), and he remains well respected for his abilities on defense and as a leader, as well.
Assuming VanVleet is medically cleared, Houston’s likely starters for the 2026-27 campaign are VanVleet, Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.
Key reserves who will likely feature in Ime Udoka’s playing rotation include Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Steven Adams, and recently signed guard Marcus Smart.
Houston is coming off consecutive years with 52-30 regular-season records before losing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Internally, the hope is that pairing Durant with a proven floor general such as VanVleet can mitigate the team’s issues with turnovers and late-game execution last season.
More: Rockets sign veteran guard Marcus Smart to two-year, $13-million deal
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Report: Rockets guard Fred VanVleet remains on course for 2026-27 season
Continue reading...
