Ranking 3 best Fred VanVleet free-agency destinations if he leaves Rockets

The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship-contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference.

VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with Houston going forward. The Rockets have a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up.

The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard will make more than $44 million next season under his current contract.

The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston’s decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn’t necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year.

The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn’t refuse back in 2023, and another team could do the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with?

1. Fred VanVleet to the Magic

Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years.

That will make a deal for another big-ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the Magic signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year.

If Orlando can make the money work, though, then VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. They finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19.

VanVleet can hit shots from behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets relied heavily on his shooting expertise, so the guard is very familiar with putting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic.

While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he’d fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits.

Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the NBA’s open market this offseason.

2. Fred VanVleet to the Nets