Fred VanVleet’s path back to the Houston Rockets’ starting lineup is trending toward the 2026-27 season, with all signs pointing to a return in October if his recovery stays on track.
The key hurdle is medical clearance. Barring any setback, VanVleet would need the team’s doctors to sign off before he can get back to his normal workload.
“Signs point to VanVleet being ready to start for Houston from the jump,” Houston Chronicle beat writer Varun Shankar wrote in a story published Wednesday.
“The veteran point guard will be about a year removed from his torn ACL and meniscus when the Rockets begin training camp.”
A comeback in 2025-26 was never impossible on paper, but it would have required an ACL recovery of seven months or less, which would have been a wildly short turnaround. The more realistic window lines up with the usual NBA timeline, which runs between nine and 12 months. By the time 2026-27 training camp opens, VanVleet would be just beyond that range.
VanVleet, 32, spent two seasons in Houston, appearing in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Over that stretch, he averaged 15.9 points, 6.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 36.9% from three-point range. He also kept mistakes to a minimum, averaging just 1.6 turnovers in 36.1 minutes per game, and he continues to carry a strong reputation for defense and leadership.
If he gets the green light, Houston’s projected starting five for 2026-27 would be VanVleet, Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun.
The Rockets’ rotation would also be expected to include Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Steven Adams and newly signed guard Marcus Smart.
Houston is coming off back-to-back 52-30 regular seasons, but both ended with first-round exits in the Western Conference playoffs. Inside the organization, the idea is that Durant plus a steady floor general like VanVleet can help clean up the turnover issues and late-game execution problems that showed up last season.
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