Rockets' next move is painfully obvious after devastating Fred VanVleet news

Mere days before the start of training camp, the Houston Rockets are living in their worst-case scenario. Fred VanVleet has suffered a torn ACL, thus leaving Houston without its floor general and the lone source of proven consistency at the point guard position.

Reed Sheppard will now be tasked with handling a monumental increase in responsibility, but another option exists to soften the blow: Reuniting with Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook, 36, is coming off of a season during which he was effectively the Denver Nuggets' lone source of reliable depth. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 three-point field goals made on .449/.323/.661 shooting.

Westbrook also helped the Nuggets reach the second round of the playoffs, with the team going 4-3 when he scored at least 10 points and 2-5 when he failed to.

For Houston, bringing Westbrook in would represent a reunion on multiple fronts. For one, Westbrook and new Rockets superstar Kevin Durant were a show-stealing duo with the Oklahoma City Thunder, leading the franchise to the 2012 NBA Finals.

Westbrook also played the 2019-20 season with the Rockets, averaging 27.2 points per game and helping the team secure its most recent playoff series win.

Russell Westbrook reunion appears inevitable after Fred VanVleet injury

Westbrook is an admittedly polarizing figure whose game doesn't fit the analytical standards of the modern era. Rather than prioritizing efficiency, his game is all about applying constant pressure to opposing defenses and creating as many looks as possible.

Even at 36, Westbrook utilizes his explosiveness and elite court vision to attack the basket, find the open man, and work the pick and roll.

In 2024-25, Westbrook shot 60.2 percent from within five feet of the basket and buried 39.7 percent of the 136 three-point field goals he attempted within 24 feet. He struggled when stepping further beyond the line, but there's clearly something to work with.

For an athletic Rockets team that will look to push the pace and thus needs a playmaker to help spread the wealth, Westbrook is uniquely qualified for the job.

For one, Westbrook and Durant produced remarkable results despite the hyper-fixation on championships suggesting otherwise. Durant won four scoring titles playing alongside Westbrook, as well as an MVP award. Furthermore, Oklahoma City made four trips to the Conference Finals.

Perhaps equally as intriguing is the fact that Westbrook has a long history of bringing the best out of the bigs he plays with—with Steven Adams, now a Rocket, and Enes Kanter being just two examples.

That bodes well for the likes of Adams, Clint Capela, and Alperen Sengun, as well as athletic forwards such as Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson. Westbrook's playmaking would undoubtedly position them to receive consistently efficient looks at the basket.

Concerns will always exist over the full-speed style of play that Westbrook embraces, but the Rockets have every reason to believe the pros would outweigh the cons in this scenario.