Fred VanVleet is fired up to be joining the Rockets ... telling TMZ Sports that after spending the past seven seasons in Toronto, he's "looking forward" to the new sitch!!
The All-Star guard explained his excitement to us over his new 3-year, $130 million contract with Houston while he was out getting some shopping done on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills this week.
While he obviously loved his time with the Raptors (the guy, after all, won a championship and made his first-ever All-Star team in Toronto), he did admit he's eager to get everything going in H-Town.
As for some of his new teammates -- guys like Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green -- he's clearly happy to be walking into a lineup featuring those guys as well.
"We're just trying to take a step forward," he said. "One day at a time."
VanVleet, Brooks and Green will all have a new coach this season in Houston -- the Rockets inked Ime Udoka to a new deal back in April ... so it'll be a bunch of fresh faces all around in 2023.
And, after a 22-60 season last year, VanVleet -- and all of Rockets nation, for that matter -- is certainly hoping it helps turn things around.