The Houston Rockets were flying high after one of the best offseasons in franchise history. They stunned the league by trading for Kevin Durant, retained core role players, and looked like a legitimate threat to come out of the West. But just weeks before the new season, disaster struck.
Fred VanVleet, their veteran point guard and floor general, tore his Achilles. With VanVleet sidelined for the entire year, Houston’s title hopes have taken a significant blow, and the team’s hands are tied when it comes to finding a replacement.
On paper, replacing VanVleet seems like a straightforward problem. Just sign a veteran point guard, right? Not quite.
The Rockets are capped out and only $1.25 million below the first apron, which means they cannot use the Disabled Player Exception without going over the limit. They also can’t add another minimum contract unless they shed salary first.
Even if they wanted to trade, the league’s rules restrict them until December 15. Steven Adams, Clint Capela, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jabari Smith Jr., Aaron Holiday, Jeff Green, Josh Okogie, Jae’Sean Tate, and VanVleet himself are all off the table until that date due to being recently signed or traded.
That leaves the Rockets with a brutal reality: the only way to acquire a new starting point guard before mid-December would be to move one of their untouchables. That includes Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant, and Tari Eason, essentially the young core plus their new superstar. Trading any of them for a stopgap guard would be self-defeating.
In short, Houston is stuck with what they have until December 15.
With no outside solutions, Ime Udoka will need to get creative with the roster. For now, Reed Sheppard looks like the best candidate to start at point guard. He didn’t have a standout rookie campaign, but when he got minutes, he showed flashes of being able to run the offense and hit shots.
Amen Thompson is another option. Though primarily a wing, Thompson averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists last season while earning All-Defensive First Team honors.
He can initiate offense in stretches and at least give the Rockets size and defense at the guard spot. Behind them, Aaron Holiday is a steady, if limited, veteran who will be leaned on far more than anticipated.
Losing VanVleet is particularly tough because his leadership and steady hand were exactly what Durant needed alongside him. Now, the Rockets will rely more heavily on Durant to create offense, while Sengun will be tasked with facilitating from the high post. Both players are capable, but it increases their workload significantly before the season even starts.
Durant hasn’t been shy about wanting to compete for championships at this stage of his career. The Rockets’ vision was a balanced roster with veteran playmaking around him. Without VanVleet, Houston risks overextending Durant early in the year, and that could have long-term consequences.
The bottom line is simple: the Rockets are cooked until December 15. Unless they do something drastic like moving Sengun or Thompson, their guard rotation will be a glaring weakness in a stacked Western Conference. For now, they’ll lean on Sheppard, Amen, and Durant to share playmaking duties, hoping to stay afloat until reinforcements can arrive.
The dream offseason turned into a nightmare before the season even tipped off, and Houston now has to weather the storm for at least two months.
