Rockets must bring back key piece in free agency (and it's not Fred VanVleet)

The Houston Rockets may not have expected Steven Adams to become such a large part of their 2024-25 identity.

They surely knew they were getting a valuable player. The Rockets moved four second-round picks to acquire Adams. It was clear that the Rockets were expecting a quality backup big man, and they got one.

They ended up getting a bit more than that, too.

If Rafael Stone knew that Adams would be able to share the floor with Alperen Sengun, the Rockets are in (even) better hands than we thought. He's a visionary. That wasn't the plan in most people's eyes, yet it's exactly what happened.

In 2025-26, the Rockets need to go back to that well. Adams is a free agent this summer, and retaining him is imperative for this organization.

Adams is critical to the Rockets' success

Let's head over to CleaningTheGlass and have a look at lineups featuring Adams at the 5 and Sengun at the 4.

When they shared the floor with Jabari Smith Jr., Aaron Holiday, and Fred VanVleet, the Rockets were +51.2 in 30 possessions. Pair the duo with Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson, and Houston was +73.9 in 23 possessions.

There are many such cases. Each individual sample size of Sengun and Adams together is relatively small, but taken in the aggregate, the numbers paint a clear picture. They were especially telling in the postseason. In 93 minutes together, the Rockets' pair of bigs were +20.6 when they shared the floor.

Some will argue that the Rockets' success with this duo only proves that Sengun can be paired with a big. That's an oversimplification. Adams is a deceptively unique player. He's the strongest player in the NBA. That strength was integral to making this duo work.

The Rockets put opposing defenses in a bind. Adams will physically overwhelm more wing-ish 4s, but Sengun will score on them easily in isolation. This left more modernized teams without a viable option to guard Houston's throwback lineup.

The Rockets must put opponents in the same bind next year - at the right cost.

Rockets must offer Adams a fair deal

This year, the Rockets paid Adams a hefty $12.6 million.

That's roughly in line with the Mid-Level Exception (MLE). If the Rockets want to use their MLE to sign Adams, that would be fine on a short-term basis. They could offer him a one-year, $12.8 million (ish) deal with the understanding that they'll evaluate the situation again next summer.

If Adams wants longer-term security, the average annual value should be lower. The Rockets can't afford to be overpaying Adams in two or three years. Still, so long as the two sides can agree on a mutually beneficial number, the Rockets must keep Adams this summer.

He's a big part of their identity.