Fred VanVleet will renew with the Houston Rockets!

The Houston Rockets will decline Fred VanVleet's player option of $44.9 million and instead offer him a two-year deal worth $50 million, as reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. The second season will be a player option.

During his injury-free 60 games with Houston in the 2024/25 season, the Wichita State alum averaged 14.1 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 3.7 rebounds per game, shooting an inconsistent 37.8% from the field, 34.5% from three, and 81% from the charity stripe.

The offseason additions in 2023 of veterans VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green, and coach Ime Udoka proved to be the stabilizing forces needed to propel a young and talented team to the next level. In VanVleet's first season in the city, Houston finished with a solid 41-41 record, narrowly missing the playoffs in a fiercely competitive Western Conference.

In the just-concluded season, the youthful movement of the Rockets flourished. Houston ended with the second-best record in the West, 52-30, and nearly ousted the Warriors in a close first-round playoff defeat.

KD's arrival changes expectations

Houston has reshaped its core with the addition of forward Kevin Durant, a 15-time All-Star, in a blockbuster pre-draft trade, costing the team Brooks, this year's tenth draft pick, young guard Jalen Green, and five second-round picks.

Retaining VanVleet on a cheaper deal will give the Rockets more flexibility this summer, as the club aims to become a true contender in 2025/26. Reportedly, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets that the new agreement will grant the Rockets full access to the $14.1 million taxpayer mid-level exception this year.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¡Fred VanVleet renovará con los Houston Rockets!