Canada Goose

Fred VanVleet believes the Houston Rockets have everything needed to compete for an NBA championship next season.

After missing the entire 2025-26 campaign because of a torn ACL and meniscus, the veteran guard is preparing for his return and is optimistic about both his health and Houston’s future.

The former NBA champion recently exercised his $25 million player option and has been training throughout the offseason, saying he “feels like a rookie again” ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Despite acknowledging there is still room for improvement, VanVleet is confident the Rockets can contend for the league title.

“We can win a championship next year,” VanVleet told Erik Horne of Andscape. “But that’s internal.”

The 32-year-old won an NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and earned his lone All-Star selection during the 2021-22 season.

VanVleet has played 9 seasons for the Raptors and Rockets. He has averaged 14.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 550 regular-season games.

He was selected to play in 1 All-Star game, and has won 1 NBA championship.

Fred VanVleet Talks ACL Recovery, Optimism For 2026/27 https://t.co/oQRZrTARI8