Fred VanVleet Injury Puts Rockets Players Under Trade Threat as Insider Dismisses RFA Plans Rockets are hard-capped at the first apron, and Fred VanVleet’s injury makes managing restricted free agent

Coming off a 52–30 season, the Rockets entered a crucial summer and reshaped their roster with bold, calculated moves. At the center of it all is Kevin Durant, now the face of the franchise, supported by key pieces like Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela. The real win, though, is how GM Rafael Stone managed to pull this off while keeping the team under the first apron. Still, the looming question remains: is Durant enough to push Houston to the promised land? Or who else will rise alongside him to join the climb?

Fred VanVleet’ s season hangs in the balance after a torn ACL, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. The setback comes right after Houston declined his $44.9M team option, only to re-sign him to a two-year, $50M deal with a 2026–27 player option. Since arriving in 2023 on a three-y