ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet has unfortunately suffered a torn ACL. The timing and severity of the injury now put VanVleet's entire 2025-26 season in jeopardy.
Houston made a win-now move with the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade, putting them into that top tier of Western Conference contenders alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder and new-look Denver Nuggets. VanVleet had a relatively down season, but is a calming veteran presence who rose to the occasion in the playoffs when it mattered most, increasing his scoring by almost five points a game. This is a significant blow to Houston's title chances and could put them in a tier behind the juggernauts out west.
ESPN's Bobby Marks notes that the Rockets can't add a free agent with their final roster spot as they are just $1.25 million under the first apron. So, barring a trade, a Rockets team with championship aspirations will be forced to rely on the unknowns of up-and-coming guards Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson. Sheppard was Houston's No. 3 overall selection in 2024 and played just 12.6 minutes per game as a rookie. Thompson quickly became a rising star in the league with his two-way impact, but may have to take on a larger playmaking role than he's comfortable with.
This just goes to show how quickly things can change in the ever-evolving NBA. It's essential for any team to pay attention to this development, but particularly a rebuilding team such as the Portland Trail Blazers.
Blazers' backcourt isn't deep enough to overcome adversity
There are several parallels between Portland and Houston, and in many ways, the Rockets are just a few years ahead of what the Blazers are trying to become. Jrue Holiday is their version of VanVleet. He's a veteran addition who doesn't align with their rebuilding timeline. But at the same time, it's also the Blazers' way of betting that their young core will develop quickly enough to compete during Holiday's closing window.
The Blazers have their own unknowns in the backcourt with Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. If, unfortunately, an injury were to occur in Portland's backcourt, they'd have a difficult time overcoming it due to their lack of depth. That's a fatal roster flaw that ESPN's Kevin Pelton recently highlighted.
"With Damian Lillard spending his first season back in Portland on the sidelines because of an Achilles tear, the Blazers don't have ideal options behind Scoot Henderson and newcomer Jrue Holiday. If either misses time, Portland might be better off using Deni Avdija as a point forward instead of reclamation projectBlake Wesley," Pelton writes.
The silver lining is that Portland has a point forward in Avdija, who can take some of the playmaking burden. And if they can survive this season, this problem should go away with Lillard set to return. But in the meantime, it's still a worrisome issue and could be the very thing that prevents Portland from ending a four-year playoff drought.
Let's hope this Blake Wesley project is worth the roster spot, because it's putting the Blazers more at risk than many realize. This brutal injury suffered by VanVleet is a reminder of how easily any roster holes will get exposed throughout the course of an 82-game season.