Houston Rockets fans should be excited for the 2024-25 NBA season. After a 19-win increase from 2023 to 2024, resulting in a 41-41 record, there is reason to believe that this team can improve further and make the playoffs. The Rockets are led by former All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet, who is entering his second year with the organization.
Although VanVleet has spent little time in Houston, a recent poll of SB Nation’s reaction The results showed that 65% of Rockets fans believe the 2024-25 season will be their last with the organization. That’s an impressive number, considering where the organization is at.
VanVleet is entering the second year of a three-year, $128.5 million contract he signed in 2023. However, the third year of his contract will be a team option, meaning Houston will have the option to pay him through the 2025-26 season. He would then be owed just under $44.9 million.
It’s interesting that fans think VanVleet is essentially a rental player for the Rockets. He averaged 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.4 steals last season, which was a catalyst for Houston’s impressive season. As the organization emerges from its rebuilding phase, VanVleet enters this season as one of the Rockets’ key stars and veterans.
Time will tell if Houston should offer VanVleet the final year of his contract. If the Rockets disappoint and fail to regain the same competitiveness they had last season, it may be time to move on. However, given the right mix of developing players and experienced leadership, VanVleet could prove to be more valuable than fans realize.
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