One of the key factors in the Rockets success, VanVleet will rebound next season

Just entered this offseason, people questioned whether Fred VanVleet would return. He originally had a $40 million team option in the 2025-26 season, but after trading Kevin Durant, the Rockets eventually refused to execute VanVleet's team option and renewed his contract with him for two years. This move saved the team a lot of money and renewed the contract with Alperen Shinkyung, which was below the 14th.

Based on VanVleet's age and output last season, he certainly won't receive the $40 million. He had a relatively downturn year, averaging 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. Judging from the data, it is not disappointing, but his shooting percentage is only 37.8% and his three-point shooting percentage is 34.5%. However, his turnover control is still good, with an average of only 1.5 times per game, a new low in recent years.

It is worth noting that despite losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round tiebreak in the playoffs, his performance is still quite impressive, averaging 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game, and shooting percentage is 43%. He performed particularly well in Games 4, 5 and 6, with 25 points, 26 points and 29 points respectively.

Next season, under the leadership of Durant, Van Vleet should have a rebound season. Next season he will become the team's third or even fourth scoring choice, which means he will not bear a lot of responsibility for scoring, and the efficiency will naturally increase. He is not only good at scoring, but also for organizing passes and defense. VanVleet is currently in his best form in passing. Although he is only 183, he averaged 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 2024. He will play more roles this season than a single score.

With Durant, the Rockets' offense will be more balanced. The team relied heavily on Jaylen Green on the offensive end last season, but efficiency and stability hindered them. Durant averaged 26.6 points per game last season, shooting 53%-43%-84% from the field.

In addition to Durant, the Rockets also introduced Dorian Finney Smith and Clint Capela, etc. Finney Smith is the first tier of the league's 3D. Sophomore guard Reed Shepard was selected by the Tienhua lottery in 2024 for his shooting ability. The team should give him some opportunities to take some responsibility and hope that his level will improve accordingly. In short, we will see the Rockets' overall progress next season, the evolution of Amen Shinkyung and others, including the rebounding VanVleet.