The Houston Rockets have applied for a disabled players’ exemption following Fred VanVleet’s torn ACL, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kelly Iko. If granted, the exemption would provide the Rockets $12.5 million in additional cap space. This move suggests the team anticipates VanVleet might miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season, potentially altering Reed Sheppard’s role should another guard be signed.