Long article: Offseason begins! Rockets will execute Van Villet s 44.89 million option, Stone is planning big things

The Houston Rockets ended their journey this season, bringing an end to this successful but relatively perfect season. The reason why this season is successful is because the Rockets were not favored. The Rockets failed to make the playoffs last season. Before the start of this season, the industry generally believed that the Rockets would probably be a playoff-level team at most. However, the Rockets eventually hit second in the regular season West, which far exceeded most expectations.

is not perfect, that is certain. In the Rockets and Warriors series, the Rockets have many opportunities, even if G4 scores 5 more free throws, or Dillon did not make a foul on Butler's body hair. Or maybe in the previous few games, Uduka increased Adams' playing time, and perhaps the result of the series will be completely different.

Of course, it has to be said that the performance of the two backcourt players Jaylen Green and Van Vreet directly affected the trend of the series.

In this round of tiebreak series, Jaylen Green only played one good goal, and all the other 6 games were diarrhea, proving that it was not the Rockets' future answer. Van Vreet played 4 beautiful games and played poorly in the first three games. The performance of the combination of the two of them is the barometer of this team.

Now, the Rockets' playoff journey is over, and the Rockets' management needs to re-evaluate these players in the team. It is worth mentioning that Van Vreet ushered in a critical summer.

Van Vlitter's salary this season is $42.85 million, and the 2025-26 season is a team option worth $44.89 million. The Rockets need to make a decision in the offseason whether to execute Van Vreet's last year's contract or to let him jump out of the contract and revisit a new contract with the team. Judging from the current signal, the Rockets have already tended to execute Van Vreet's contract.

Today, according to The Stein Line reporter Jake Fischer, the Rockets are expected to execute the team options of 31-year-old veteran point guard Van Vreett.

In the just-concluded 2024-25 season, Van Vreet played 60 regular season games for the Rockets, averaging 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game, shooting percentage was 37.8%, three-point shooting percentage was 34.5%, and free throw shooting percentage was 81.0%. In the playoffs, Van Vreet played 7 times, averaging 18.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1 steal per game, shooting percentage was 43.0%, three-point shooting percentage was 43.5%, and free throw shooting percentage was 83.3%.

The Rockets execute Van Vreet's contract, and his annual salary of $44.89 million in the last year will become the Rockets' highest salary. Many fans were unacceptable to this news at the first time. What? Van Vreet played so badly and so hard throughout the season. Is he going to keep him because of a few good games in the playoffs?

This idea is understandable, because after watching Van Vritte's performance in the final of the season and in the first few games of the playoffs, I gritted my teeth and wished I could kick Van Jordan a few times, although I really couldn't beat him.

However, rationally, the Rockets' execution of Van Vreet's contract is a very clear decision. Let’s talk about three points:

First, the Rockets execute Van Vreet’s contract, which means leaving enough room for the new season. As we all know, the Rockets want to pursue a big fish during the offseason, and there is a high probability that they will go to Suha for a star. Both Antetokounmpo and Durant are potential candidates. Then, when the Rockets execute Van Vreet's contract, they have a bargaining chip that can match the trade.

Second, after the contract was executed, Van Vreet's expiration contract of 44.89 million in the last year is tempting for many teams who want to get out of the trap. The Rockets can use Van Vreet to prepare various plans in the trading market, whether it is one-on-one exchange, or three-party or even four-party teams. It can be said that it is easy to do.

Third, it is also possible for the Rockets to leave Van Frit. They will watch Shepard for another year, and next year is a critical year for Shepard. If Shepard can practice and perform well, the Rockets can trade Van Vreet to free up the spot for Shepard. If Shepard can't play, he can give up and it is acceptable to leave Van Jordan to play for another year. After all, Uduka likes Van Vritte very much.

It seems that Stone's game is quite detailed. Those fans who start squirting up as soon as they see the Rockets execute Van Vreet’s contract can be calm!