NBA

Rockets sign PG Fred VanVleet to two-year, $50 million contract

The Rockets unsurprisingly declined VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option in exchange for a new deal with the point guard. This fresh agreement contains a player option — also likely to be rejected — after the first year.

Houston is having a great start to the summer, especially once you factor in this bargain. VanVleet’s counting stats don’t even come close to telling the full story of him as a player. Sure, the 31-year-old shot just 37.8 percent from the field and only dished out 5.6 assists per game last season, but there’s so much more than what meets the eye with VanVleet.

It’s hard to even choose where to start with the point guard. He’s one of the most reliable players in the game, averaging over 35 minutes per game every year since 2020. But there’s more. VanVleet doesn’t give the ball away, as he averaged just 1.5 turnovers per game last season. His tenacious — despite his lack of size — defense doesn’t get highlighted in the stat sheet, either.

VanVleet is an awesome player, and while he’ll never be included in conversations regarding the best point guards — and rightfully so — he’s arguably the engine to Houston’s success. Last season, that success made the Rockets a 52-win outfit, and now the prognosis looks even better.

Grade: B+