Rockets Expected To File For $14.1M DPE After Fred VanVleet’s Injury

The Houston Rockets have an open roster spot and will likely file for a $14.1 million disabled player exception (DPE) after star point guard Fred VanVleet suffered a torn ACL at an unofficial team minicamp in the Bahamas.

If the NBA determines VanVleet is out until mid-June, the league would grant the exception, which would allow Houston to sign or trade for a player on a one-year contract.

Rockets Are Only $1.25 Million Below First Apron

Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, even if the exception is granted, the Rockets would not be allowed to sign a player into that exception at this juncture, as the team is just $1.25 million below the first apron.

Marks noted that Houston’s offseason moves hard capped them at that level. This means the Rockets would have to make a trade in order to fill VanVleet’s spot.

Houston has five tradeable firsts, including an unprotected 2027 first from the Phoenix Suns and two of the more favorable 2029 firsts of their own, Suns, and Dallas Mavericks.

The Rockets also have the right to swap firsts with the Brooklyn Nets in 2027.

Despite their treasure chest of draft picks, the Rockets will be unable to include certain contracts in a trade until later this year. That alone could make it difficult to add an additional player.

Eight Players Are Ineligible For Trade Until December

Per Marks, the eight players Houston signed this summer — VanVleet, Steven Adams, Dorian Finney-Smith, Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, Jeff Green, Josh Okogie, and Clint Capela — cannot be traded until mid-December.

Holiday and Tate have the right to approve any trade.

In addition to reserves Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason, the only other players Houston would be able to trade are starters Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson.

VanVleet, 31, joined the Rockets during the 2023 offseason on a three-year, $150 million contract. The undrafted guard inked a two-year, $50 million extension this past June.

In 60 games (all starts) last season, VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 35.2 minutes per contest while shooting 37.8% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point territory.

His point average in 2024-25 was his lowest in a season since 2018-19, but he did put up 18.7 points per game in the playoffs on 43% shooting from the floor and 43.5% from deep.

The Rockets visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 21 to open their 2025-26 season.