The Houston Rockets are just days away from getting training camp underway for the 2026-27 NBA season. The Rockets are hoping to bounce back after an ugly first-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers this past season.

The Rockets played all of last year without point guard Fred VanVleet, who tore his ACL prior to the start of last season, but on Tuesday, they got a positive update on his status for camp.

Ime Udoka says Fred VanVleet is fully cleared entering training camp and has ‘looked really good lately,'” reported Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire on X, formerly Twitter.

However, Jackson Gatlin of Locked on Rockets later reported that VanVleet will not play in back-to-backs to open up the season.

Article Continues Below

The Rockets definitely could have used VanVleet's veteran experience as a floor general last year, especially during the playoffs, when Reed Sheppard's lack of ability to hit shots and run the offense efficiently reared its ugly head.

While Kevin Durant only played one game in Houston's loss to the Lakers, it was still clear that the Rockets needed an upgrade this offseason regardless, and they will hope that the return of VanVleet, combined with free agent additions like Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic, will be enough to help them compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs out west.

In any case, the Rockets are slated to get their new season underway on October 23 with a home game against the Dallas Mavericks. Tipoff for that contest is set for 8:30 pm ET.