Steve Adams’ Shocking $39 Million Decision: What This Means for the Houston Rockets’ Future

When a team resorts to the hack-a-strategy, you know a player’s impact is something special — and that’s exactly what happened with Steven Adams in Game 4 of the Rockets-Warriors playoff clash. Golden State found themselves stuck battling Adams on the boards, unable to contain his tenacity, which led Steve Kerr to repeatedly foul him in a desperate bid to curb his influence. Fast forward, and Houston isn’t letting go of their secret weapon anytime soon: Adams has inked a three-year, $39 million deal that secures his presence on the team for seasons to come. Considering the $13 million annual average comes in under next year’s mid-level exception, this could turn out to be a savvy move by the Rockets — especially with other teams circling for a solid center. Rafael Stone’s midseason trade might have seemed like a gamble given Adams’ injury, but his steady growth into a vital backup role proved the gamble was worth it. By season’s end, Adams was even sharing the floor in a double-big lineup alongside Alperen Sengun, showing how indispensable he’s become for Ime Udoka’s squad. Stats might not jump off the page after the break — think 4.3 points and 6.3 boards over 16 minutes — yet the Rockets clearly see the bigger picture. They’ve locked in their guy for the foreseeable future, and it feels like just the beginning. LEARN MORE

The best evidence of how much Steven Adams came to mean to the Houston Rockets came in the fourth quarter of Game 4 in their playoff series against the Warriors: Steve Kerr employed the hack-an-Adams strategy, in part to get him off the court. Golden State didn’t have an answer for him on the glass and kept trying the strategy the next few games (with not much success).Adams didn’t put up big counting stats — after the All-Star break he averaged 4.3 points and 6.3 assists a game in almost 16 minutes a night — but his value to the team was clear. Now the Rockets have locked up their guy for the coming years.Rockets GM Rafael Stone traded for Adams during the 2023-24 season, knowing he would be out for the remainder of the season but seeing him as a fit as a backup center this season. Adams had to be brought along slowly, but as his minutes ramped up his value to this team — particularly on the offensive glass and setting strong picks — became evident. By the end of the season, coach Ime Udoka was playing a double-big lineup with Adams and Alperen Sengun for stretches. This is a good deal for the Rockets, the million a season average price tag is below the mid-level exception for next season. With a few teams looking for a quality center, larger offers may have been available to Adams on the open market. Also, it’s not yet known if the third year of this contract is fully guaranteed. This contract could ultimately set the market for other veteran backup centers, such as Al Horford.Adams will remain with the Rockets on a three-year, million extension, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.