The Houston Rockets have had conversations about De’Aaron Fox, seeing him as a potential long-term point guard (and keeping away from their improving rivals three hours down the 10 in San Antonio).
However, Houston may already have their point guard for the next few years in-house — Fred VanVleet. He’s been the floor general and glue bringing together All-Star Alperen Sengun’s playmaking, Amen Thompson’s athleticism, Jalen Green’s scoring, the energy Dillon Brooks brings nightly, and so much more. Which is why the Rockets and VanVleet have mutual interest in an extension, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
VanVleet averages 16.5 points and 7.2 assists a game this season and is a plus defender. All that sells short what he means to this team as a steady hand on the wheel that gets them into the right sets and has them playing at the right pace. VanVleet is the on-court coach Ime Udoka needs.
VanVleet has a $44.9 million player option for next season. The most likely outcome is for VanVleet to opt out of that and take a little haircut on next season for the security of three or four years and far more guaranteed dollars. While VanVleet isn’t inexpensive, Fox will sign a far more expensive max extension with whatever team trades for him, and the Rockets already have some hard roster decisions to make down the line as all their young stars start to reach their second contracts.
However, it works out, this feels more likely than the Rockets landing Fox or another point guard and plugging him into this offense that VanVleet knows so well.
