Rockets make wise decision with new Steven Adams contract

The Houston Rockets have some key decisions to make this summer. One of them just got made.

No, not the Fred VanVleet decision. Not the Kevin Durant decision either, although it feels like that notification could come at any second. The Rockets have a lot left to consider. Some of these decisions will be immensely consequential.

We have gotten some new clarity about next year's rotation. For all that uncertainty, there are no more questions about Steven Adams.

The Rockets brought him back on a 3-year, $39 million contract.

Rockets sign Adams to team-friendly deal

This is a fair contract. It's got an average annual value of $13 million, which is a shade below the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (MLE), which is roughly $14 million next year.

That's below market value for one of the best backup big men in the NBA. Adams had a slow start to 2024-25, but once he was back to form after recovering from an injury.

Per CleaningTheGlass, the Rockets had a +5.0 Efficiency Differential when Adams was on the floor. Much of that owes to his 100th percentile +11.7% Offensive Rebound percentage. Adams was a big part of what made the Rockets tick in 2024-25.

That said, this signing has no shortage of implications

Rockets solidify big man rotation

There's no assurance that the Rockets will keep Adams in the rotation for the duration of this deal. It's a tradable contract. So, fans shouldn't rule out the possibility that they'll use the 10th overall pick in the upcoming draft on a big man.

Still, it does feel less likely. A player like Khaman Maluach or Derik Queen is suddenly far less likely to crack the rotation within a two-season window. If the Rockets love either, they may grab them, but the logistics of adding them to the roster just changed.

We can be reasonably sure that this means the Rockets won't look at Brook Lopez. A reunion with Clint Capela is also out. Adams will be Houston's primary backup in 2024-25, and rightly so.

Will the Rockets lean on double big man lineups with Adams and Alperen Sengun in the frontcourt from the beginning of the year onward? That's something to keep an eye on. They found success with those lineups in 2024-25. The Rockets may want to make them a fixture in their attack.

Either way, one of the toughest teams in the league retains a large source of its toughness with this new contract. Adams' leadership and workmanlike approach to basketball have been a big part of the team's success:

It's nice to have this question answered.