Fred VanVleet's Rockets Contract Option Date Reportedly Pushed Back to June 29

The Houston Rockets and Free VanVleet have reportedly agreed to move the date on his contract option back to June 29, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer first reported Tuesday that Houston was "in discussions to move the decision date" for the 2025-26 option from this week to the end of June.

It is quite an important decision, as the option is for $44.9 million and will be a critical part of Houston's offseason.

Frankly, it isn't difficult to make a case for the Rockets bringing VanVleet back even if the option is an expensive one.

He is a veteran leader on a team with a young core that will be looking to take the next step as a championship contender after finishing with the second-best record in the Western Conference this season. He has a championship on his resume and performed well during the team's first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.

VanVleet averaged 18.7 points per game during the series and poured in a combined 80 points and 18 three-pointers during Games 4-6. Houston won Games 5 and 6 after falling behind 3-1 in large part because of his perimeter shooting.

There were times in the series when it seemed like the Wichita State product was the only outside threat on the entire Rockets roster.

Yes, VanVleet will turn 32 years old next season and averaged 14.1 points per game during the regular season, which was his worst mark since the 2018-19 campaign. That may cause some hesitation on the front office's part, and moving the decision date back will give it more time to evaluate the entire situation.

Still, it was clear in the playoffs how important the guard can be for the Rockets.