Fred VanVleet, Rockets
Getty
Fred VanVleet of the Houston Rockets reacts to a call against the Toronto Raptors.
As the Houston Rockets brace for uncertainty surrounding All-Star center Alperen Şengün, a more optimistic development has quietly emerged around their injured veteran leader.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Rockets have not ruled out a potential return this season from starting point guard Fred VanVleet, who suffered a knee tear during a team mini-camp in the Bahamas before training camp.
Stein reported Sunday that VanVleet recently traveled with the team to Dallas and is progressing aggressively through rehabilitation.
“Is VanVleet really out for the season? Not necessarily,” Stein wrote. “Word is VanVleet is working as hard as possible in his rehab from the injury to at least put a late-season return on the table.”
While Houston is not guaranteeing a return — and remains cautious about projecting timelines — the fact that VanVleet’s season is not definitively over offers a rare note of optimism at a moment when injuries have begun to pile up.
The Rockets entered Sunday at 21–11 with the league’s third-most efficient offense at 121.2 points per 100 possessions — all achieved without VanVleet in the lineup.
Şengün Injury Forces Rockets to Adjust on the Fly
Alperen Sengun, Rockets
GettyAlperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets is injured during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks.
That optimism arrived amid another setback.
Şengün exited just over a minute into Saturday night’s 110–104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks with a right ankle injury, immediately altering Houston’s rhythm and snapping a four-game winning streak.
The injury occurred when Şengün landed awkwardly after grabbing a rebound in traffic, appearing to roll his ankle on the foot of Mavericks center Daniel Gafford. He went down clutching his ankle and was helped to the locker room following a timeout with 10:56 remaining in the first quarter.
He did not return and was ruled out before halftime with a lateral ankle sprain.
With backup center Steven Adams sidelined for a second straight game because of his own ankle injury, Houston was suddenly left with Clint Capela as its only true interior presence. The Rockets were forced into smaller lineups, quicker decisions, and increased perimeter reliance.
Udoka Offers No Immediate Clarity
After the game, coach Ime Udoka was asked for an update.
“No, not yet,” Udoka told reporters.
Those three words captured the moment — uncertainty layered on top of a season increasingly defined by health management.
Houston struggled offensively without its interior anchor, shooting just 38.7 percent from the field, the team’s second-worst mark of the season. Though the Rockets dominated the offensive glass — winning 17–2 in offensive rebounds and 15–0 in second-chance points — their half-court execution lagged badly.
Durant Emphasizes Professionalism After Injury
Kevin Durant, who scored 34 points and led a late rally that fell short, framed the night less as a loss and more as a test of adjustment.
“That’s always an adjustment for a team when one of their main players goes out doing an action like that,” Durant said. “Everything we did was prepared with our center in the lineup. For him to be taken out with a tough injury, it’s tough for us — but I like how we are all pros and were able to turn the tide and get some momentum for ourselves, regardless.
“We hope he has a speedy recovery, but in the meantime, we have to hold it down for him.”
Why a VanVleet Return Would Matter So Much
If VanVleet can return late in the season, it could stabilize a Rockets offense that has thrived in efficiency but struggled in late-game organization.
VanVleet is Houston’s primary floor general, their next best point-of-attack defender after Amen Thompson, and most trusted late-clock decision-maker before Durant’s arrival. His presence would ease pressure on younger guards, reduce isolation dependence, and restore structure to the half-court offense — particularly important if Şengün misses extended time.
The Rockets are winning. They are growing. But they are doing so with a shrinking margin for error.
Big Picture: Rockets at a Crossroads
Houston’s season now sits at a delicate inflection point.
Şengün’s injury introduces short-term volatility. VanVleet’s potential return offers long-term hope.
One development clouds the present. The other quietly shapes the future.
And as the Rockets navigate both, the balance between caution and ambition may ultimately define how far this season can go.