Underrated guard is the perfect Rockets trade target after Fred VanVleet

With Fred VanVleet likely to miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season with a torn ACL, the Houston Rockets should look up north and target Immanuel Quickley in a potential trade. The Toronto Raptors guard offers a bit of everything, excelling in manners that directly align with Houston's needs.

Compounded by the uncertainty surrounding Toronto's vision in the aftermath of Masai Ujiri's departure, the Rockets could land a perfect fit at a reasonable cost in Quickley.

Quickley, 26, is entering the second season of a five-year, $162.5 million contract with a flat annual salary of $32.5 million. It's an admittedly steep cost that could give Houston pause as it weighs its options on the trade front, particularly with four fully guaranteed seasons remaining on the deal.

After playing just 33 games in 2024-25, there's even more reason to press pause on a potential move for a player who isn't exactly checking the boxes at first glance.

Quickley had never missed more than 14 games before the 2024-25 season, however, and has proven capable of adapting to a variety of roles. He's thrived as a starter and sixth man, as well as a scorer and playmaker while simultaneously embracing the nature of a defensive-minded head coach.

With the offensive skill set and underrated defensive proficiency to fit the Rockets' culture and needs, Quickley is the epitome of a high-reward target at a time of need.

Immanuel Quickley is the missing piece for Rockets' championship vision

Quickley boasts career averages of 14.0 points, 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game on .421/.375/.858 shooting. Important context, however, is that he didn't average more than 23.1 minutes per game until his third season.

On a per-36 basis, Quickley's career averages translate to eye-opening marks of 19.7 points, 5.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 2.9 three-point field goals made.

Quickley has taken his game to a new level over the past three years, starting with when he finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2022-23. He's shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc during that three-year stretch while being tasked with playing as both an on and off-ball scorer, as well as a playmaker.

Since joining the Toronto Raptors in 2023-24, Quickley has averaged 17.9 points and 6.3 assists per game—shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc and committing just 1.8 turnovers per contest.

That type of versatile offensive value could prove significant to a Rockets team that projected to rely heavily upon VanVleet in 2025-26. VanVleet isn't just an NBA champion and proven postseason performer, but Houston's most reliable playmaker.

Without VanVleet, the Rockets will likely lean on Reed Sheppard, who went No. 3 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft but has yet to receive consistent opportunities in the NBA.

Quickley, meanwhile, is a more proven commodity who can offer reliable production and quality as a team defender. The hurdle, of course, will be lining up the necessary contracts and draft assets to complete a mutually beneficial trade.

Fair a concern as that may be, if the Rockets decide that Sheppard isn't the immediate answer, they could realistically put a package together to land Quickley once trade restrictions are lifted on Dec. 15. In the process, Houston could take a significant step toward contending.

Quickley is an expensive player to target, but the Rockets' vision of winning a championship would be instantly legitimized by acquiring his talents.