The Houston Rockets are exploring ways to reinforce their backcourt after Fred VanVleet’s season-ending injury, but their financial structure has left them with little flexibility in the trade market.
According to ESPN, the team plans to apply for a $14.1 million disabled player exception if the NBA confirms VanVleet will miss the entire 2025–26 season. The exception would typically allow the Rockets to acquire or sign a player on a one-year deal worth up to that amount.
However, the exception’s usefulness is limited. Houston sits just $1.25 million below the first apron, the result of several offseason moves that hard capped the team at that threshold. As a result, even if granted, the franchise cannot currently use the exception to add a replacement for VanVleet.
VanVleet, who re-signed with Houston on a two-year, $50 million deal in June, suffered a torn right ACL during a September workout. His absence leaves a significant void in both playmaking and leadership.
General manager Rafael Stone has trade assets available, including five first-round picks — among them an unprotected 2027 Phoenix pick and two of the more favorable 2029 selections from the Suns and Mavericks. The Rockets also hold the right to swap firsts with Brooklyn in 2027.
Despite that draft capital, the team lacks movable contracts. Eight players — VanVleet, Steven Adams, Dorian Finney-Smith, Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, Jeff Green, Josh Okogie, and Clint Capela — cannot be traded until mid-December due to free-agent signing restrictions. Additionally, both Holiday and Tate hold veto rights over any potential deal.
Forward Jabari Smith Jr. also presents complications, as his recent rookie extension comes with a “poison pill” clause, significantly raising his outgoing salary in any trade. The last player with such a restriction to be traded was nearly two decades ago, underscoring the logistical challenges Houston faces.
Head coach Ime Udoka is expected to rely more heavily on young guards Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard to absorb some of VanVleet’s minutes. The Rockets’ veteran frontcourt, anchored by Kevin Durant, Adams, and Capela, will shoulder added responsibility in keeping the team competitive early in the season.
