Fred VanVleet Restructure: Houston, We Have A Payroll Problem

Players traded for/signed by Stone

Kevin Durant 38 years old 175 games missed the last 7 years
Clint Capela 32 years old 130 games missed the last 7 years
Dorian Smith 33 years old 128 games missed the last 7 years
Steve Adams 33 years old 265 games missed the last 7 years
Fred VanVleet 32 years old 199 games missed the last 7 years

When you sign guys in their 30's with either lengthy injury histories or high milage....... you end up with guys hurt a lot that you cannot count on.

The Rockets front office largely did this to themselves.

The guys the Rockets signed/extended have missed a combined 900 games the last 7 years......... an average of nearly 30 out of 82 games a year missed.

 

FVV was always an overpay... but he provided structure and veteran leadership for the kids...


its probably time to move on...

 

I can’t wait until Fred is off this team. Should’ve been a 2-3 year bridge but gonna end up being 5-6 years of this

 

The injury is a major concern. What if FVV has lost his ELITE ATHLETICISM?!?

 

i have been told that his no-trade clause is eliminated when he opts in to the po...

 

I see 4 guys in the early 30s..... but I've replied to this chat gpt/ gemini analysis before so I'll hit the high points:

1) Most importantly, blowing out your ACL in the pre-offseason training session and landing on someone's foot and getting high ankle injury sidelining you for the rest of the season isn't injury prone but unlucky.

2) Why do we keep pretending there isn't a cap with consequences that effect maneuverability/flexibility by going into different levels or "aprons".

3) Expanding on above, we our 5 young core players' highest age is 25 and youngest is 21 that will need a considerable amount of cap space to extend. If we didn't have cap limits, do you think Stone would have decided to balance out the roster with a bunch of less expensive 32 year olds?

4) You are pretty good at playing with numbers.... if you exclude KD's Achilles and the next season's back MCL injury then you get closer to 45 games missed... if you exclude FVV's ACL injury then he has missed 82 less games out of 199.

5) Luka has missed 108 games and 13 playoff games at age 27 with a lot of high miles... too old and injured for the max?

 

The Rockets keep doing the opposite of what they should.

 

I mean he wasn't even that good to begin with and now he's older and coming off an injury. This past year was supposed to be the year we realized he wasn't good enough and spend this summer trying to upgrade. But unfortunately his injury pushed that back so we get to pretend he's good all summer and that he'll make us so much better and we'll have to wait half a year to be disappointed enough to make a move. Just trade him already.

 

The upcoming season should be his last year as a Houston Rocket, as a backup to Reed.

 

We’ve paid the guy over $110 mil for one good season. Add another $25 mil for whatever he looks like next season. I like Fred, I respect the way he’s been around the team all year. I like his toughness. I give him credit for his help turning around our culture. But let’s just stop. The madness has to stop. We have to stop paying him and most importantly, we have to stop using an injured 6 ft guard on the downside of his career as an excuse for all of our failings on the court last season and as an organization. The Fred worship is just crazy.

 

They're publicly enamored with FVV.... We'll see if they really feel that way. IMO, he was already declining in Toronto. He had a great first season in Houston, but has continued to decline. And then the injury... I'm not confident in his return to form at all. I wouldn't be betting on Adams either.

 

Dillon Brooks arguably shaped this culture more than FVV.....Fred did well but he also made 2x more than Brooks.

 

I don't think it is madness, it is just bad timing, Tilman has partly checked out somehow....might be because missing out on Wemby still bothering him.

This was the same Tilman that regretted that CP3 Deal....and CP3 was way better than FVV.

Now whichever son is making the decisions, it really is bad.

You are right they rather keep paying for an excuse (Fred) ......this was not our time.

 

Ya people are ridiculous for wanting to get rid of every player on the team. I understand the concern about the injury with Fred, but not wanting him back cuz you’ll over pay ok fine but other than that there’s no reason why you guys shouldn’t want him back he’s been solid.

 

It’s called a “bad contract”…let it expire and move on. By all means don’t make the situation worse.

 

He doesn’t have a no trade, the minute he excepts the player option he is available for trade. If they extend him, he won’t be eligible for trade until around the trade deadline next year. Extending him the last time was stupid. It will be even more stupid this time, but the Rockets are going to do it, because Ime is in love with him and Stone is in love with Ime. Talk about an Unholy trinity!

 

Lol

 

Huh, that may be true but right now he only has 1 year left so it isn't that big a deal. But if they extend his contract to multiple years, they better ensure the extension doesn't include a no-trade clause.

 

I read your title. I didn't read anything else.

You're a veteran poster. You should know better.

 

Yep. That's his boy. His cuddly security blankie..

Let's face it. As long as Fred's around he'll suck up too many minutes, and give these fools ideas about going for it now. All the while carrying a huge risk of decline and injury...