Less than a month after undergoing ACL surgery on his right knee, veteran Rockets guard Fred VanVleet is already walking without crutches, a limp, or a brace.

VanVleet was seen by reporters at Houston’s practice on Thursday, where the Rockets (0-1) were gearing up for Friday’s regular-season home opener against the Detroit Pistons (0-1).

Known for his vocal leadership, the 31-year-old has often functioned an on-court extension of the coaching staff. So, it should come as no surprise that he appeared to be taking on a similar role and guiding his teammates at practice.

Citing a team source, the Houston Chronicle’s Danielle Lerner reports that VanVleet “might attempt to travel on the next road trip when the Rockets play Oct. 29 at the Toronto Raptors, VanVleet’s former team, and Nov. 1 at the Boston Celtics.”

As for VanVleet’s potential return as a player, a recent study found 9.8 months to be the average return timeline for NBA players who suffered ACL tears, and that would stretch into July 2026 — i.e. beyond both the regular season and any potential playoff run.

Yet, Lerner notes that the Rockets “have not characterized his injury as season-ending,” and there are rare cases of elite athletes who returned from ACL surgery in as little as six months. Shedding the brace in under a month appears to be a bit faster than the norm.

When VanVleet’s injury first occurred in late September, team sources insisted to ClutchFans that it would be premature to assume that VanVleet’s 2025-26 season is over. All indications continue to be that both the player and team are keeping the door open to an eventual return.

Time will tell as to whether that proves to be realistic, as ACL recovery timetables can vary widely depending on many factors unique to each individual athlete. The severity of the original injury, as well as the progression of the rehabilitation process and any setbacks, are particularly important variables.

History tells us that the earliest point at which a return-to-play protocol could potentially begin would be at around six months, which would come in mid-to-late March. So, there are many weeks and months of grueling rehab ahead, along with numerous checkpoints that VanVleet would need to clear.

The odds are certainly against it. Furthermore, even if VanVleet somehow did return, he would likely be on something of a minutes limitation.

But one month in, things appear to be going as well as they reasonably could. At least for now, that keeps the door open to an improbable return for Houston’s floor general.

It’s worth noting that VanVleet does have a $25-million player option for 2026-27, which gives him financial security beyond the 2025-26 season. That could perhaps mitigate some of the risk involved with an early return, though there are obviously many steps that would need to be cleared before that can become a consideration.

For now, the Rockets are simply hoping for the best, and VanVleet is aggressively attacking his rehab each day. So far, so good, even if the ideal outcome remains unlikely.

We routinely and extensively talk about the Houston Rockets roster and their basketball prospects, but what is going on behind the scenes and what is coming at Toyota Center?

In an exclusive interview, Houston Rockets President of Business Operations Gretchen Sheirr joined ClutchFans to discuss the organization’s direction heading into the 2025–26 season. The conversation covers the team’s growth over the past four years, the fan experience at Toyota Center, front-office insights, and what Gretchen observes and takes notes on when she watches games from a business perspective.

Watch the full interview below:

“Make no mistake, we are a business, but filling our building and having fans that are there, that are excited, that are engaged and that are proud of what we are doing is key,” said Sheirr.

This season, the Rockets have introduced several fan-friendly pricing options, including $3.99 hot dogs, sodas, and popcorn, plus $2.99 cookies and a $5.95 Kids Meal — all designed to make attending games more affordable.

“There’s going to be something almost every night that provides a very affordable option for the fan to come to our games,” said Sheirr.

The team has also seen a 300% explosion in merchandise demand at the Rockets Team Shop, with the arrival of Kevin Durant being a big part of that increase in excitement in the team.

“He likes basketball,” laughed Sheirr about her impressions of Durant. “He’s a worker. He’s really smart and he’s super excited to be in Houston.”

She also talked about being able to watch Alperen Sengun and the young players grow since the team drafted them.

“Part of our storyline was, hey, if you could go back and be a part of ‘insert sports legend’s name’ and watch them from their rookie year on knowing how great they would be, that’s a cool experience that I think everyone would want to be a part of,” said Sheirr. “Hopefully we did a good job over the last 4-5 years of really telling the story of what we were trying to accomplish, the belief that we had in these young guys and seeing it all come together.”

The Rockets are continuing to showcase that journey through their “In Flight” behind-the-scenes series on YouTube.

There are still seats available to games and Sheirr points out you can buy tickets today directly on Rockets.com

The 2025-26 season is here! The Rockets open their season, with Kevin Durant making his Houston debut, tonight in Oklahoma City.

Come join Ben DuBose and I live after the game on the ClutchFans YouTube channel as we discuss and react to how the season opened up.

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The extension deadline came and went today and the Rockets did not come to a contract agreement with Tari Eason.

Maybe in hindsight this should have been foreseen — the Rockets signed Jabari Smith Jr. early in the summer but never followed that with news of a locked-up Tari. Eason himself expressed what appeared to be frustration at Media Day before training camp opened, and then Kevin Durant’s extension announcement came without a Tari deal preceding it.

Ben DuBose and I discuss what this means for the Rockets — restricted free agency in the summer, likely value differences between the front office and Tari’s camp, the possibility of Tari being traded and we also discuss the Kevin Durant extension.

Just as he suggested when training camp opened, Kevin Durant has indeed signed a contract extension to remain with the Houston Rockets.

The two-year extension, which is the maximum contract length Durant can sign at 37 years old, is for $90 million and contains a player option for year two, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

While Durant’s deal is for the maximum length, it is not for maximum money. Durant was eligible to sign a two-year deal for as much as $122 million, so the agreement represents a sizable discount for the future Hall of Famer.

With a deep and increasingly expensive roster, the Rockets are taking a diligent approach to planning out future payrolls, which incentivized general manager Rafael Stone to reach deals early and negotiate team-friendly numbers.

“The Rockets were a projected $80 million below the second (luxury tax) apron for next season,” writes ESPN’s Bobby Marks, formerly a front office executive with the Brooklyn Nets. “The extension gives Houston the flexibility to retain Tari Eason, add in free agency, while also remaining under.”

The deadline for Eason’s rookie-scale extension is at 5:00 p.m. Central on Monday. Without an agreement, the LSU product would be slated for restricted free agency in 2026.

As for Durant, he is now under contract with the Rockets through the 2027-28 campaign, albeit with the final year on a player option. The deal kicks in after the 2025-26 season, which begins with Tuesday’s regular-season opener.

Charania elaborates:

Durant understood when he chose the Rockets as a trade destination that he would be sacrificing money on a new deal — in this case, around $30 million — so that the two sides could partner for the long term and give the franchise team-building flexibility.

Durant now holds the record for the highest career earnings in NBA history at $598.2 million based on current and future salaries, surpassing LeBron James ($583.9 million). Durant is earning $54.7 million this season and now has a total of three years and $144.7 million on his contract.

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Even entering his 19th NBA season, Durant continues to produce at an elite level, and his scoring efficiency in Houston’s perfect preseason slate remained very high.

Thus, to no surprise, the Rockets made it a priority to lock up Durant as a cornerstone player into what could be his third decade in the NBA.