Fred VanVleet Cleared Without Minutes Restrictions for Opener

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka confirmed that Fred VanVleet will not face any minutes restrictions to begin the regular season, though the team may exercise caution during back-to-back sets. VanVleet missed the entire 2025-26 campaign due to a torn ACL. He returns as the starting point guard after averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals over 35.2 minutes per game in 60 appearances during the 2024-25 season.