Fred VanVleet

Rockets, VanVleet Push Back Team Option Deadline

May 7th, 2025 at 2:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

May 7: As expected, the Rockets and VanVleet have agreed to move back the decision deadline for his team option, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The new decision date for Houston will be the league-wide deadline, June 29.

May 6: The Rockets are looking to buy more time to decide what to do with Fred VanVleet‘s contract. They hold a $44.89MM club option on VanVleet’s contract for next season and a decision is currently due on Friday, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.

According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer (Twitter link), Houston’s management is currently in discussions with VanVleet’s representatives to delay that decision until the end of June, just prior to free agency.

The default league-wide deadline for option decisions is June 29, but a player and team can set an earlier deadline by including that language in their contract agreement. That was the case with VanVleet’s deal, which calls for a decision five days after Houston’s season ends.

Amending the deadline would give the Rockets more time to weigh their options and perhaps increase VanVleet’s chances of receiving that $44.9MM salary next season, assuming the team would otherwise decline the option this Friday.

Following the Rockets’ elimination from the playoffs on Sunday, VanVleet and the Rockets expressed mutual interest in continuing their relationship.

“Obviously, I put my heart and soul into this and this is where I want to be,” VanVleet said. “It’s definitely a family situation. I’ve got a lot of love for our coaching staff and (general manager) Rafael (Stone) and the Fertitta family and just what we set out to do when I had my free agent meeting two years ago and we’re on that track. It was never a short-term vision — it was a long-term goal. We’re on track, we’re on schedule.”

However, VanVleet’s salary number is a huge hit on the books for a team looking to improve the roster after getting bounced in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs by Golden State. The Rockets could decline the option, then negotiate a multiyear deal at a lesser salary. If Houston declines the option, VanVleet would be an unrestricted free agent but the Rockets would hold his Early Bird rights.

Alternatively, if the Rockets decide they’re comfortable with that $44.9MM cap charge next season, they could also exercise the option and explore a more team-friendly extension that begins in ’26/27.

Rockets Notes: Offseason, Durant, VanVleet, Whitmore, Sheppard

May 6th, 2025 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Even after winning 52 games and claiming the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets didn’t see themselves as a legitimate championship contender this spring, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

The Rockets, making their first playoff appearance since 2020, knew the top-seeded Thunder were much further along in their title chase, according to Fischer, who writes that Houston’s goal this season was similar to Oklahoma City’s in the last year or two — evaluating a roster heavy on recent lottery picks to collect data and get a better sense of which players are long-term keepers and which ones might not be.

With their postseason run over, the Rockets will now have to weigh whether or not to pursue a major move on the trade market this summer, Fischer writes, noting that the team is expected to bring back most of its core and “proceed judiciously” going forward. General manager Rafael Stone didn’t contradict Fischer’s reporting when he spoke to the media on Tuesday.

“The business we’re in, nobody’s untouchable,” Stone said (Twitter link via Kelly Iko of The Athletic). “But we deeply value everyone on our roster. We have those (extra draft) picks, we accumulated them so we could draft guys or upgrade our current roster. We’ll see what makes the most sense.”

As Fischer details, pundits figure to repeatedly link Suns forward Kevin Durant to Houston this summer for a number of reasons — the Rockets control several Phoenix draft assets; Durant played college ball at Texas and played in Oklahoma City alongside close friend and Rockets assistant Royal Ivey; and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was an assistant during KD’s time in Brooklyn. However, Fischer insists that “more indications than not” suggests Houston’s interest in Durant has been overstated.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

After Fred VanVleet and Udoka expressed a desire to keep the point guard in Houston going forward, Stone declined to comment on any contract specifics on Tuesday, but confirmed that the Rockets want to retain VanVleet. “He’s been the person and player that we hoped we were getting and we’re very optimistic he’ll be with us for the foreseeable future,” Stone said, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
In a story for The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), Lerner poses five burning questions facing the Rockets this offseason, starting with whether or not they keep VanVleet and whether they’ll pursue a star. Lerner also considers whether Houston will extend Tari Eason and Jabari Smith, which of their own free agents they’ll try to re-sign, and how much this year’s draft matters to the team.
The Magic and Rockets share many of the same strengths and weaknesses, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who suggests that both teams will be in the market for offensive upgrades this offseason. However, there appears to be one key difference between the two clubs, as Hollinger observes — Orlando needs to strengthen its supporting cast around star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, while Houston still needs to find an alpha dog, either inside or outside of the organization.
Within his analysis of the Rockets’ future, Hollinger points out that the team may soon need to make decisions on whether a pair of little-used rotation players are keepers. Former first-round pick Cam Whitmore has shown flashes of real promise, but hasn’t played consistently, while last year’s No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard spent most of his rookie season on the bench even though the organization reportedly thinks very highly of him. “We have had in-depth conversations with Cam probably more than anybody,” Udoka said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Lerner). “… Ton of potential there, but consistency is the main thing and he knows that.”

Rockets Notes: Green, Thompson, Eason, Smith, Offseason

May 5th, 2025 at 1:36pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets‘ season ended on Sunday night when they lost a deciding Game 7 at home against the battle-tested Warriors. As Jonathan M. Alexander of The Houston Chronicle writes, aside from a 38-point outburst in Game 2, shooting guard Jalen Green struggled mightily in his first playoff series, scoring between seven and 12 points in the other six games and shooting 37.5% or below in each of those contests.

Green, who led Houston in scoring (21.0 points per game on .423/.354/.813 shooting) during the regular season, averaged just 13.3 PPG during the postseason, with shooting splits (.372/.295/.667) well below his season-long rates. The 23-year-old finished with eight points on 3-of-8 shooting in Game 7.

“Besides the (second) home game, s–t,” Green said when asked to assess his performance in the series. “Straight s–t. I got to be better. First playoffs is no excuse. Yeah, I’ve got to be better.”

According to Alexander, Warriors defensive stalwart Draymond Green said slowing down Jalen Green was a primary focus for Golden State.

“We did a good job on him to start the series and I think that rattled his confidence a little bit,” said Draymond Green. “This isn’t something he’s been apart of before. He’s good young player. He’ll learn from his mistakes, but you’ve got to give the guys credit who were guarding him. … Anybody who was on him, he was a focal point. We know what they are capable of when he’s scoring and so we really wanted to take him out of this series.”

Houston signed Jalen Green to a three-year, $105MM rookie scale extension last fall. That deal, which also includes a 10% trade kicker, will begin in 2025/26. Given the way the offense — and Green — struggled, Alexander anticipates “non-stop” questions this offseason about how Houston can improve on that end of the court, as well as Green’s future with the team.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

While the end result certainly wasn’t what he wanted, second-year swingman Amen Thompson continued his strong play to conclude the series after struggling in the first few games, per Greg Rahan of The Houston Chronicle. Thompson, who chipped in nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block, led the team in scoring (24 points) and was the only Rocket to shoot over 50% from the field (9-of-16) in Game 7. As Rahan writes, Thompson attended Stephen Curry‘s basketball camp growing up in California, and the four-time champion was effusive in his praise of the 22-year-old. “I talked to him right after the game,” Curry said. “I kind of saw him develop in front of everyone’s eyes. I know people (who) watched the Rockets play night in and night out over the last year have seen the potential and raw athleticism, the hunger and he’s a dawg. He showed all seven games and he’s going to be a problem, for sure. He’s going to try to develop his game, especially offensively, but defensively, he’s a freak athlete and I think he loves the challenge and loves to be in the fight. He was tough all series and kind of crazy that the old man got it done.”
Adding shooting should be a top priority for the Rockets this summer, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. With several promising young players and a surplus of draft assets, the Rockets will be one of the main teams to follow on the trade market, and they will be “closely” evaluating all their options on that front, Iko reports. Citing team sources, Iko also says Houston is “hopeful” about its chances of having long-term relationships with Tari Eason and Jabari Smith, who are both eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer.
Greg Rajan and Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle pass along what the Rockets had to say after their season ended, while Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle focuses on what the team learned during the ’24/25 campaign.
Bobby Marks of ESPN and Mark Deeks of HoopsHype recently previewed Houston’s offseason. Determining what to do with Fred VanVleet‘s team option, possible extensions for Eason and Smith, and re-signing backup center Steven Adams are among the decisions the front office will face this summer.
In case you missed it, VanVleet and the Rockets have mutual interest in continuing their relationship, though what his contract will look like remains a question mark.

VanVleet, Rockets Have Mutual Interest In Continuing Relationship

May 5th, 2025 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

After scoring 26 points in Game 5 and 29 in Game 6 to help the Rockets force a win-or-go-home game in Houston on Sunday, veteran point guard Fred VanVleet couldn’t push his young team over the top in Game 7. He made another trio of three-pointers and had 17 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Rockets, whose season ended with a 103-89 loss to Golden State.

VanVleet, who signed a three-year, maximum-salary contract with Houston during the 2023 offseason, has a team option worth nearly $44.9MM on that deal for 2025/26. While it remains to be seen whether or not the Rockets intend to exercise that option, post-game comments from head coach Ime Udoka and VanVleet on Sunday made it clear that there’s mutual interest in continuing the relationship.

“I think both sides want to be here and want him here,” Udoka said (Twitter video link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “From day one, the importance of him at the point guard position, leading us in a lot of ways and allowing guys to grow at the same time. … He’s a huge part of our growth. Love everything he’s done. Perfect combination of on-ball (and) off-ball for our guards and our young guys to grow. Obviously would love to have him back and I think the feeling’s mutual.”

As Udoka alludes to, the Rockets targeted VanVleet in large part because of his defense, toughness, and championship experience. His offensive numbers since arriving in Houston (15.9 PPG and 6.9 APG on .400/.369/.842 shooting) have been just solid, not spectacular, but he has played a key role in guiding a young team to the next level. The Rockets won no more than 22 games in any of the three years before VanVleet arrived, but have gone 93-71 since signing him.

For his part, VanVleet echoed his head coach’s comments and expressed a desire to remain in Houston in ’25/26 and beyond.

“Obviously, I put my heart and soul into this and this is where I want to be,” VanVleet said (Twitter video link). “It’s definitely a family situation. I’ve got a lot of love for our coaching staff and (general manager) Rafael (Stone) and the Fertitta family and just what we set out to do when I had my free agent meeting two years ago and we’re on that track. It was never a short-term vision — it was a long-term goal. We’re on track, we’re on schedule.

“It’s a tough way to lose and end the season, but my mind’s very far away from contract stuff right now. We’ll get to that when it’s time.”

With lucrative new extensions for Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green taking effect this summer, the Rockets would likely prefer to reduce VanVleet’s cap hit. Picking up his option would bring the team’s guaranteed commitments to $176MM+ for nine players next season. The luxury tax line is projected to be at $187.9MM.

Given that context, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Houston declines VanVleet’s $44.9MM option with an understanding that he’d accept a longer-term deal paying him less money in 2025/26 but increasing his overall guarantee across multiple years. If the Rockets decide they’re comfortable with that $44.9MM cap charge next season, they could also exercise the option and explore a more team-friendly extension that begins in ’26/27.

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Udoka/Popovich, Zone Defense

May 4th, 2025 at 3:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Seasoned Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who has seemingly been getting better in each successive playoff game against Golden State, is confident that his young teammates will be prepared for Game 7, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

VanVleet scored 29 points and handed out eight assists while leading Houston to a 115-107 Game 6 victory to knot the series at 3-3.

“We got so much talent just as long as they don’t get sidetracked,” VanVleet said. “Game 1 it was like, ‘Oh my God.’ And then Game 3 on the road was a little shaky. But other than that, they are so good. Just go out there and play your game. I just try to keep them calm and keep them focused on just playing the game. Don’t get worried about all the other stuff.”

The Rockets fell to a 3-1 hole against the lower-seeded, more experienced Warriors, but their youth, size, and athleticism has helped propel the team to consecutive victories. Now, the action shifts to Houston for a decisive Game 7.

There’s more out of Houston:

Longtime Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who retained his president title while stepping down as coach this week, gave his former assistant, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, some advice that helped him extend the Golden State series, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. Udoka had also played for Popovich on the Spurs, from 2007-09 and then again in 2010-11. While Udoka wasn’t willing to share the details, he said Popovich “gave me some pointers.” Houston is facing off against another Popovich disciple, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who played for him in San Antonio and was a Team USA assistant during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The Rockets’ intimidating zone defense is a big reason why they’ve managed to extend this Warriors series, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link). “It’s a weird zone,” reserve center Steven Adams said. “Yeah, I don’t know. It’s just like a bizarre one, but it works.” Per Lerner, Houston is employing a 2-3 zone attack. Two guards are positioned at the top of the floor, with frontcourt players handling the back line. VanVleet previously discussed the efficacy of the zone approach.
In case you missed it, Hoops Rumors’ Luke Adams recently ran a poll regarding the outcome of Game 7.

Rockets Notes: Adams, Zones, VanVleet, More

May 3rd, 2025 at 11:23am CST by Rory Maher

Veteran center Steven Adams missed about half of the 2022/23 season with a knee injury. That same injury kept him on the shelf for the entire ’23/24 campaign. After a 21-month absence, Adams returned to action in late October.

The Rockets brought Adams along slowly to open ’24/25, frequently giving him extra rest days and limiting his playing time. He wound up making 58 regular season appearances and averaging a career-low 13.7 minutes per game.

While his production looked fairly modest on the surface — he averaged 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds — Adams quietly posted the best offensive rebounding percentage of his career. He was also second in the team in net rating differential, only trailing All-Star center Alperen Sengun.

That trend has carried over to the postseason as well — Adams has been terrific in the Rockets’ first-round series with Golden State. The Rockets are plus-53 in Adams’ 129 playoff minutes and are minus-38 in the 159 minutes he’s been on the bench. The two-big pairing of Adams and Sengun has been particularly effective against the Warriors, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports notes (via Twitter).

Adams wound up playing a season-high 31 minutes in Friday’s Game 6 victory in San Francisco, recording 17 points, five rebounds, one steal and three blocks. After falling in a 3-1 hole, the Rockets have now evened the series at three games apiece heading into Sunday’s Game 7.

“Adams was fantastic tonight,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after the game, per Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle. “He’s having a great impact,” added Warriors forward/center Draymond Green.

Adams, 31, is playing on expiring $12.6MM contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

Head coach Ime Udoka has befuddled the Warriors by deploying a variety of zone defenses over the past two games, with Adams often used as the anchor, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. That was particularly true of yesterday’s fourth quarter, when Golden State only managed one field goal over an eight-minute stretch to open the final period. “Just attention to detail,” Fred VanVleet said. “Trying to find the shooters. We’ve been experimenting with some things in the zone and having the bigs on the back line, and then just morphing and flying around. Half the time, we don’t even know what the hell we’re doing out there. I’m sure it’s hard to game plan against but just flying around, having effort, being physical. We know the guys that we want to limit their touches and shots, make it tough on them.”
Former All-Star guard VanVleet had arguably his best performance of the series in Game 6, scoring an extremely efficient 29 points to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists in 40 minutes. As Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle details, VanVleet had no idea the Rockets would be in this position when he signed with Houston a couple years ago. “You always dream of the moment, the best moment possible, and rising to the occasion and building up a team,” VanVleet said. “But I think first and foremost, it was hard to see that part when I first got there, first practice and first training camp. We just had so much work to do. But it’s just a testament to these young guys and how far they’ve come in such a short amount of time. I can bark all day. Ime can bark all day. It’s not gonna matter if these guys didn’t put the work in, if they weren’t hungry, if they weren’t selfless, they weren’t confident, they weren’t talented. So I mean, they get all the credit in the world. They’re making me look good.“
Assistant coach Will Dunn made it clear that VanVleet has been critical to Houston’s rise over the past two seasons — the coaching staff refers to him as “The General” due to his position and the way in which he motivates himself and teammates, according to Lerner. “He has the best pulse on our team. He knows exactly what our team needs to hear,” Dunn said. “He’s had huge moments and huge series. He’s not scared of the moment. Every single chance when he has a chance to take a big shot, he’s gonna step into it and shoot like he’s gonna make it.”

Rockets Notes: Thompson, Brooks, Curry, VanVleet, Green

May 1st, 2025 at 1:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Second-year swingman Amen Thompson was excellent in helping the Rockets stave off elimination on Wednesday, filling the stat sheet with 25 points, six rebounds, three assists, five steals and three blocks. Houston outscored Golden State by 32 points during Thompson’s 35 minutes. The 22-year-old became the first player since Charles Barkley in 1993 to record 25 points, five steals, and three blocks in a playoff game, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com.

In addition to his highly efficient offensive performance — he was 8-of-12 from the field and 8-of-9 from the foul line — Thompson slowed down Stephen Curry, limiting the two-time MVP to 13 points (on 4-of-12 shooting) and seven assists in 25 minutes.

“He took it personal, and that’s what we need from him every single night,” Dillon Brooks said. “As a defender, you have to take the matchup personal. He was reading Steph, reading a lot of the guys, staying in front, being disciplined on the defensive end without reaching.

“We need that Amen every single game because we’re going to go against guys like Steph again. That same mentality, that tenacity that he was playing with gives us a lot of energy, gives us a lot of extra possessions, and it makes their best player timid and think. That’s what we need: their best players to think, think, think the game instead of playing in the flow.”

Here’s more on the Rockets, who are now down 3-2 in their first-round series vs. Golden State:

Brooks also had a strong performance in Game 5, scoring an efficient 24 points and holding Jimmy Butler to just eight points on 2-of-10 shooting. After the game, he spoke to Kelly Iko of The Athletic about how playing against the Warriors multiple times over the years has helped him learn to maintain his composure. “My energy, my enthusiasm, my passion for the game can override and f–k up a game,” Brooks told The Athletic. “I learned that from years of playing in the playoffs and understanding where things went wrong. To win against these guys, you have to be composed at all times. The way they play is very helter-skelter. They’re going to make you play with passion — with Draymond (Green) and Steph (Curry) on that team. Me learning and playing against these guys a lot in my career, being composed is the way to go.”
Asked during his post-game press conference, whether he has been targeting Curry’s injured right thumb, Brooks didn’t deny it, Ron Kroichick writes for The Houston Chronicle. “I’m playing the game,” Brooks said. “Shoot, if you’re going to come play the game injured, whatever you’ve got, it’s all about the game. If I had an injured ankle, I would attack that ankle every single time. So whatever they’re saying on the broadcast, they can keep saying it.”
After struggling with his shot for the first three games of the series, veteran guard Fred VanVleet has caught fire over the past two, including scoring a game-high 26 points on Wednesday, notes Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle. For his part, VanVleet says he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. “I’m here to share and lead and quarterback and put guys in positions, but I still have to play at a high level if we’re going to be a good team,” said VanVleet. “I’ve been able to get back to that over the last couple of games. There’s so much going on and so much is new to this team and we’re playing so many young guys, this is their first experience. Their heads get to spinning a little bit at times. Just trying to calm them down and get them into good spots. If we play our brand of basketball at a high level, I feel good about us against anybody.”
Jalen Green bumped knees in the first quarter of Game 5, but he says he “should be good” to go for Friday’s Game 6, according to Reid Laymance of The Houston Chronicle.

Rockets’ Udoka To Consider Lineup Change For Game 5

April 29th, 2025 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

With a second straight loss in Golden State on Monday, the Rockets fell behind 3-1 in their series vs. the Warriors and will head back home facing their first elimination game of the postseason on Wednesday.

Asked after Monday’s defeat whether he’ll roll with the same starting lineup he has used in the first four games of the series, head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, including Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), that he intends to “take a look at everything” for Game 5, adding that the starters’ poor start to the third quarter stood out in Game 4.

Houston’s starting five of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun had been a +12 in 44 minutes of action through the first three games of the series, but was outscored by 13 points in 12 minutes on Monday. That included a 10-0 run by the Warriors at the start of the second half, which turned a seven-point Houston lead into a three-point deficit.

If Udoka does decide to make a change, it could involve Green, who was subbed out for Tari Eason just three minutes into the third quarter and has been ineffective against the Warriors’ defense for much of the series. Green went off for 38 points in Houston’s Game 2 win, but has made just 10-of-34 shots from the floor (29.4%) in the three losses and hasn’t reached double-digit points in any of those games. He attempted eight shots in a series-low 25 minutes on Monday.

Meanwhile, even though Sengun led the Rockets with 31 points, he missed 16 field goal attempts and three free throws as his shooting struggles from Game 3 carried over to Game 4. Converting at the foul line was an issue for the Rockets as a whole — they went to the line 31 times on the night, compared to 22 times for the Warriors, but made fewer free throws (19) than Golden State (20).

The Rockets’ 12 missed free throws represented the most in a single game by a team in this year’s playoffs, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, which is likely one reason why Udoka spoke during his post-game media session about the need for “consistency.” Houston also committed 27 turnovers in the last two games, compared to 18 for the Warriors.

“Guys are down, but they understand that the game we played well — the one game out of four (Game 2) – we had a blowout win and other games, it’s been a one-possession game, or we’ve had a fourth quarter lead and not played well,” Udoka said. “Consistency wins in this series, and we’ve talked about that from Day 1. We have to be more consistent across the board.”

The Rockets’ players echoed their head coach’s message after the game, with Sengun expressing a need to be more “disciplined” and VanVleet noting that the Rockets have to keep their composure and execute in crunch time.

“These (last two) games suck,” VanVleet said, per Wright. “We had two (games) that could have went our way. This is the playoffs. The margin of error is so slim they can go either way. And you learn that it comes down to possessions. Possessions are so important.”

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Offense, Green, Sengun, Landale

April 28th, 2025 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets hold a $44.9MM club option on Fred VanVleet‘s contract for next season. The veteran guard hasn’t done himself any favors in the playoff series against Golden State. In the first three games, VanVleet made only 26.8% of his shots (11-of-41), including 20.7% of his three-pointers (6-of-29), while averaging 11.3 points and four assists in 41 minutes per game, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle points out. Game 4 is tonight.

“There’s times and places where I have to play better, I have to make shots at a higher clip,” VanVleet said. “I have to find rhythm and find ways to be more aggressive. But obviously, if I’m getting two on the ball at 28, 30 feet, I feel like I’ve done my job for that possession. If I can draw a mismatch and I can draw a best defender, there’s opportunity for other guys, I feel like I’ve done my job on that possession. So, it’s different ways to attack. I have to be better, 1,000%, and if I make two more shots we probably win Game 1. If I make a couple more (Saturday), we probably get out of here with a win, so that’s totally on me, for sure.”

We have more on the Rockets:

The Game 3 loss to Golden State, in which the Warriors survived the absence of Jimmy Butler, showed that the Rockets probably need an offensive star to be true contenders, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes. Houston, which was held to 85 points in Game 1, was limited to 93 points in Game 3. If the Rockets decide to go shopping for a roster upgrade, Jalen Green — who signed a three-year, $106MM extension in October — is widely expected to be part of the deal, according to Amick.
Houston needs to do a better job of holding down the Warriors’ role players, Kelly Iko of The Athletic notes. Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II combined for 33 points on 7-of-14 three-point attempts in Game 3. The Rockets also need Alperen Şengun to deliver in clutch moments. The center shot 7-for-18 from the field and made only one of six free throw attempts in Game 3.
Backup big Jock Landale, who has yet to play in the series, is listed as probable for Game 4, Lerner tweets. Landale has been recovering from a knee contusion.

Injury Notes: Heat, Lillard, VanVleet, Coulibaly, Yabusele

April 3rd, 2025 at 6:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat forward Andrew Wiggins will miss his fourth consecutive game on Thursday due to right hamstring tendinopathy, but another Miami forward, Duncan Robinson, will make his return vs. Memphis, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Robinson hasn’t played since March 23, having been sidelined for the club’s past five contests due to a back problem. However, he feels “a lot better,” according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, who reiterated that the injury is different than the one the veteran sharpshooter dealt with at the end of last season (Twitter link via Chiang).

In addition to being without Wiggins, the Heat will still be missing Kevin Love (personal reasons), as well as Terry Rozier, who is listed as out due to an illness, but neither player has been a regular rotation contributor since the All-Star break anyway.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

The Bucks decided against bringing Damian Lillard on their three-game road trip that begins Thursday in Philadelphia, but head coach Doc Rivers is increasingly optimistic about the guard’s ability to return before the end of the season, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Lillard was diagnosed last month with a blood clot in his calf. “He had a great report the other day…the numbers are phenomenal,” Rivers said. “‘Why mess with it?’ was our thing. Why fly him or anything? It could affect (his progress). … We have much more hope today than we did three days ago, I can tell you that. And so, we’re going to take everything that we can do to see if there is a way we can get him back.”
Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet didn’t suit up on Wednesday for the victory that clinched Houston its first playoff spot since 2020, having sat out due to knee and ankle soreness. VanVleet had played in the Rockets’ previous 11 games and should be back in the lineup in short order, but that ankle issue, which forced him to miss 16 games in February and March, likely won’t clear up anytime soon. “It’s going to take some time,” head coach Ime Udoka said, per ESPN. “We will have to deal with it the rest of the season, coming off the injury.”
The Wizards didn’t formally rule out Bilal Coulibaly for the rest of the season when they announced on March 13 that he’d miss about four-to-six weeks due to a right hamstring strain. However, head coach Brian Keefe acknowledged on Thursday that the second-year forward will “probably not” be back before the team wraps up its regular season schedule, as Varun Shankar of The Washington Post tweets.
After missing a pair of games with a right knee sprain, Sixers forward/center Guerschon Yabusele will be activated for Thursday’s matchup with Milwaukee, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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