Fred VanVleet exercised his $25 million player option with the Houston Rockets in late June 2026, locking in his return for the 2026-27 season after missing all of 2025-26 with a torn ACL. Recent preseason appearances confirm he is on track to start at point guard, providing veteran leadership and floor spacing alongside the core featuring Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün. This contract status has driven overwhelming trader consensus toward Houston at 99.5%, as the market resolves to the team he officially joins by October 31. A midseason trade or unexpected release before the cutoff remain the primary scenarios that could shift resolution away from the Rockets, though current roster continuity and minutes restrictions make such moves improbable.