Ex-Toronto Raptors Guard Fred VanVleet Inks New Deal With Houston Rockets

Fred VanVleet is running it back in Houston.

The former Toronto Raptors guard has agreed to a new two-year, $50 million contract with the Rockets that includes a player option for the 2026–27 season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Houston declined VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option for next season but moved quickly to restructure a deal.

The new contract pushes VanVleet’s four-year earnings with Houston to $133.7 million, surpassing the four-year, $120 million offer Toronto reportedly made to retain him in 2023, per Jake Fischer.

Since leaving the Raptors two summers ago, VanVleet has helped drive one of the NBA’s most impressive turnarounds. Houston improved from 22 wins in 2022–23 to 41 in VanVleet’s first season, then took a major leap to 52 wins last year, securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and snapping a four-year playoff drought.

Now, the Rockets are aiming even higher.

Following the blockbuster addition of Kevin Durant this offseason, Houston enters next year with championship aspirations. VanVleet, 31, remains the steady veteran presence tasked with leading the group alongside Durant.

His regular season numbers dipped last year. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, his lowest since 2018–19, and shot below 40% from the field for the fourth time in his career. But he elevated his game in the playoffs, averaging 18.7 points, including 24.3 points on 64% shooting from three over the final four games of Houston’s first-round series against Golden State.

He will return as Houston’s starting point guard next season as the Rockets push toward the top of the Western Conference.

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