Fred Vanvleet and the Houston Rockets have mutually agreed to push back the deadline for his 44.9 million team option, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. According to Charania, this extension of the deadline gives both sides an extended window to decide whether to exercise the option or work on a long-term deal.
Why This Helps Both Sides
Vanvleet has been a solid player for the Rockets, but his option is very expensive for the production he’s been putting up. In 60 games with the Rockets last season, Vanvleet averaged 14.1 points per game, 5.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. That’s not a 44-million-dollar stat line.
It sounds like Vanvleet and the Houston Rockets have a mutual interest in keeping him around, but it’s probably going to have to come via a restructured deal.
Fred Vanvleet Looks Like A Leader
Being 31, he’s the type of player Houston should be wanting to keep around. Jalen Green and Amen Thompson are two players who will be with Houston for a long time, and Vanvleet can be a mentor figure to both of those players. 44.9 million dollars for a “leader” type of player is too much, however.
It seems nearly impossible that Houston would choose that option. With Vanvleet’s openness to staying with the team, that hard decision might become a lot easier. Anyone who is making over 40 million dollars should be putting up MVP-type numbers every night, and Vanvleet is far from that.
Rockets Eye Key Offseason Upgrades
Houston is going to want to upgrade their team this offseason after an upsetting series defeat to the Golden State Warriors. In the series against Golden State, the Rockets defense was very inconsistent. Thompson was either playing at an elite level and not giving Stephen Curry any shots at the net., or he was getting exposed by the Warriors’ offensive adjustments.
The Rockets need to find a defensive-first player that can ease the load off Thompson. Whoever that player is isn’t going to come cheap. Houston could also use another offensive depth player that could supplement Green when he has an off night. Perhaps that player can be Vanvleet, just at a lower cap hit.
Last Thoughts
This contract getting lowered has a huge impact on the Rockets’ offseason. If they don’t lower it, they aren’t going to pick it up. It’s going to come down to how much cap relief they can get from the new negotiations. It doesn’t sound like either side wants to part from each other, so we’ll have to wait and see.
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