Steven Adams has agreed to a three-year extension worth $39 million to stay with the Houston Rockets. On Saturday, Shams Charania reported the extension, which follows Adams’ first year in Houston.
The veteran center arrived in H-Town after getting traded by the Memphis Grizzlies with one year left on his contract.
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Adams played in 58 games with three starts for a young Rockets team this past season, averaging 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds as the team finished second in the West with a 52-30 record. The Rockets went on to lose to a much more experienced Golden State team in the first round of the playoffs.
Adams was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 12th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft and spent his first seven seasons with the team. After leaving Oklahoma City in 2020, Adams spent a year with the New Orleans Pelicans before landing in Memphis.
In his final season as a Grizzly, Adams started 42 games and averaged 8.2 points and 11.5 points. In Houston, Adams played backup to rising star Alperen Sengun.
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Securing Adams on the roster provides the Rockets with a veteran presence and leadership among a group of young stars. At 31, Adams provides some maturity on a team with an average age of 24.9, according to nbaage.com.
The structure of the contract, as reported by Spotrac’s Keith Smith, also makes it a more tradable asset, should the team go that route. The money is reportedly frontloaded, with $14.1 million in 2025-26, $13 million in 2026-27 and $11.9 million in 2027-28. The contract is fully guaranteed with no options.
With a core of young stars and the likes of Adams, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks providing veteran experience, head coach Ime Udoka led the Rockets to their first playoff berth since 2021.
