On September 22, news broke that the Houston Rockets will be without starting point guard Fred VanVleet for the 2025-26 season, as the veteran suffered a torn ACL. Without VanVleet, the Rockets are still a very talented team, although their once-promising title hopes have taken a bit of a hit.
Houston could rely on second-year point guard Reed Sheppard, although he played in only 12.6 minutes per game last season. With their starting lineup facing a massive crisis, the best remaining free agent point guard is Russell Westbrook, who is coming off a solid season with the Denver Nuggets.
Westbrook is not the explosive scorer he once was, although he can get to the rim and run the offense. However, between his shooting ineffectiveness and long-standing beef with former teammate Kevin Durant, fans had a lot to say regarding the speculation.
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 18: Russell Westbrook #4 of the Denver Nuggets walks down the floor during the first half of game seven of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on May 18, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Fans Voice Concerns About Westbrook Being Linked to Rockets
Immediately after the news of VanVleet’s injury broke, the wheels started turning. Between Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets have an excellent starting lineup, although someone needs to facilitate the offense.
Who better than Westbrook, who averaged seven assists per game in Houston during the 2019-20 season? Both the news account HoopsHype and aggregation account NBACentral took to social media to ask fans what they thought.
“Yes, you should definitely take a look at Russ if you want that top 5 pick!” commented a fan.
Amen Thompson is there, they’ll be fine without VanVleet,” added another.
“Replacing FVV with someone whose skillset is the opposite of his would be a choice,” chimed in a third.
However, not everyone is convinced that it would be a bad idea. A lot of social media users seem to think that Durant and Westbrook could put their differences aside and chase a title as they reach the end of their careers.
“Westbrook, KD & Steven Adams on the same team again? Sign me up,” encouraged an optimist.
“That would be a nice pickup,” summed up another.
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 09: Russell Westbrook #0 of the LA Clippers and Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on April 09, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Houston Rockets Need to Focus on Shooting
Last season, VanVleet shot 34.5% from deep, the second-lowest mark of his career. Westbrook, meanwhile, has never shot that well in his entire 17-season career.
With key players like Sengun, Smith Jr., Thompson, and Tari Eason all below league average (36%) shooters, the Rockets need to add a bit of spacing next to Durant to fully open up the offense.
At this point in the offseason, any shooting threats who can also run the offense have been snatched up, so Houston needs to either hope Thompson can take a playmaking leap or Sheppard can improve his shooting. In college, Sheppard shot 52.1% from deep, a major reason why he was picked third overall.
Unless the Rockets give Thompson or Sheppard a bigger role, their best bet in free agency might very well be Westbrook, although he and Durant’s history could make things very awkward, very fast.
Fans Weigh In as Speculation Mounts On Russell Westbrook Signing With Rockets