The Houston Rockets' ability to find a replacement for injured guard Fred VanVleet is currently limited by the team's hard cap at the first luxury tax apron. ESPN's Shams Charania reported Monday that VanVleet could miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season after suffering a torn ACL during an offseason workout. The news came just over two months after VanVleet agreed to a two-year, $50 million extension in place of the $44.9 million team option he previously had in place for 2025-26. The Rockets are currently just $1.25 million below the first apron heading into the season, per ESPN's Bobby Marks. The Rockets are also just under $7 million above the tax threshold.