The Rockets are keeping a key piece in the fold after acquiring a new one.
On the heels of acquiring Kevin Durant on Sunday, Houston is on the verge of signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, $50 million deal, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Rockets are declining the 31-year-old’s $44.9 million option for next season ahead of the new deal, which comes with a player option for the 2026-27 season.
It’s the latest move in what’s been a busy offseason for Houston, which had already added Durant in a blockbuster deal with the Suns, extended center Steven Adams on a three-year, $39 million deal and inked a long-term extension with coach Ime Udoka.
VanVleet, who came to the Rockets as a free agent in 2023 on a three-year, $128.5 million deal, has helped pull Houston from the bottom of the West to a contender.
The Rockets returned to the playoffs this season for the first time since 2020 as a No. 2 seed, getting bounced in the first round by the Warriors.
Despite averaging 14.1 points during the regular season, VanVleet, an NBA champion in 2019 with the Raptors, turned it up a notch with 18.7 points per game and 4.4 assists over the seven-game series
It earned him a bit more overall guaranteed money in Houston.
Until then, he’ll be a big part of a Rockets team gearing up for a run at the title.