Tag: Steven Adams

Steven Adams predicts who’d win contest between old and current Thunder squads

Steven Adams predicts who’d win contest between old and current Thunder squads.

If an Oklahoma City Thunder invented a time machine, an item on their bucket list might’ve been written in thanks to Steven Adams.

The 31-year-old appeared on “The Morning Shift” podcast. One of the topics discussed was how he thinks a hypothetical contest will play out between the old Thunder and current Thunder squads.

Adams was a key piece in the Thunder’s first iteration. He served as a starter from 2013-20. He was a quality role player who fit in well with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who headlined one of the best teams in the 2010s.

Adams believes his iteration of the Thunder would hold their own against the current iteration. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams led OKC to the youngest first seed in league history last season.

“I reckon we would do pretty well but they’re still young,” Adams said. “So, like, KD, Russ — they’re like animals. They’ve already came into their own when I got there.”

Seeing Adams pick his team in this fun imaginary matchup is not a shocker. The Thunder have enjoyed a pair of successful cores in their short history in OKC.

Even with his selection, Adams is a believer in the current Thunder. It’s easy to see that considering the amount of success they’ve already had and the type of offseason they endured.

“This new OKC team, I think they’re still growing,” Adams said. “They’ve still got time. It’s a very young team. Shai’s a beast, he’s nice. Lu Dort is still an animal.”

Adams will have a chance to square off against the Thunder this season on the Houston Rockets. He missed all of last season from knee surgery.

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Rafael Stone sees Steven Adams bringing physicality, force to Rockets

Rafael Stone on Steven Adams: “His physicality and force on the court is something that is not really replicated in the NBA, and we feel like we’re lucky to have him.”

Though he has technically been with the Houston Rockets since early February, veteran center Steven Adams will not play his first game for the team until this fall. He missed the 2023-24 NBA season after undergoing surgery for a lingering knee injury in October.

But he is expected to be fully healthy when 2024-25 training camp begins in late September or early October. At that time, Adams will slide in as a backup and defensive complement to Alperen Sengun.

Here’s what general manager Rafael Stone told Vanessa Richardson, courtside reporter for Space City Home Network (the team’s regional broadcast partner for games and other content):

I just want Steven to be Steven, and I think he’s going to be Steven. I think he’s going to get every rebound — or, if he doesn’t, he’ll just block out the entire team. …

We’re looking forward to him being him. He’s already been around the team enough so that his personality is something I’m looking forward to enjoying, 24/7. And his physicality and force on the court is something that is not really replicated in the NBA, and we feel like we’re lucky to have him.

A first-round pick in the 2013 NBA draft, the 6-foot-11 big man has averaged 9.2 points (58.7% FG) and 8.2 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game during his 10-year career. Adams is now 30 years old.

The complete interview with Stone can be viewed as part of SCHN’s latest “Rockets All Access” program to wrap up the 2023-24 season. It is being aired several times this week (schedule).

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Anonymous player poll: Steven Adams near top among NBA’s toughest players

“He knows all the MMA stuff, and he can get you in a chokehold real quick,” one current NBA player says of Steven Adams. “He’ll be nice with it, but he’ll choke you out.”

Though he’s officially been with the Houston Rockets since early February, veteran center Steven Adams won’t suit up for the team until this fall. He missed the entire 2023-24 NBA season after undergoing surgery for a lingering knee injury last October.

But when the 30-year-old does return, he’ll bring quite a reputation with him. In The Athletic’s latest anonymous player poll, Adams finished second (16.8%) in the league on the question of “Which NBA player would you least like to fight?,” trailing only Indiana’s James Johnson (53.6%). In all, 125 current players answered the question.

“He knows all the MMA [mixed martial arts] stuff, and he can get you in a chokehold real quick,” one Adams voter said, as relayed by Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “He’ll be nice with it, but he’ll choke you out and be like, ‘It’s okay, buddy.’”

Veteran center Boban Marjanovic, who played the last two seasons in Houston, also received a few votes (2.4%) on the same question.

The complete poll can be read here. As for Adams and the Rockets, he’s currently slated to be the backup center to Alperen Sengun — and a defensive complement — for the 2024-25 season.

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Rockets view Tari Eason, Steven Adams as marquee roster additions for 2024-25

“We’re ecstatic we have Steven Adams and think he’ll add a real element to us,” Rockets GM Rafael Stone says. “Tari [Eason] is an enormous part of what we do.”

Led by a top-10 defense, the resurgent Houston Rockets (41-41) had the biggest year-on-year increase in wins of any NBA team during the recently completed 2023-24 regular season.

And yet, two potentially crucial defensive pieces on the team’s 2023-24 roster barely made any direct contributions to that success.

Second-year forward Tari Eason was limited by injuries to just 22 games, while veteran center Steven Adams — acquired by trade in February — wasn’t able to play at all due to injury.

Both are expected to be fully healthy by the time 2024-25 training camp opens in late September or early October. So, with that in mind, is Houston’s improved defense about to get even better?

In Tuesday’s season-ending press conference, general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka shared their optimism about adding Eason and Adams to the core of a .500 team.

Udoka’s comments:

You add Tari and Steven to the mix and another year [and] offseason under our belt to hit the ground running, there should be quite a bit of improvement just with that.

Stone’s perspective:

We’re looking forward to get Tari back. He’s an enormous part of what we do. We’re ecstatic we have Steven Adams and think he’ll add a real element to us.

The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back. We’ll look at things but again, I don’t view our roster as we’re missing X, we need to go find it. It’s not like we have a gaping hole.

Adams should slide in as a defensive complement to incumbent starter Alperen Sengun at center. Meanwhile, Eason will join a forward mix that includes starters Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks.

Complete video of the press conference is available below.

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Rockets GM Rafael Stone sees Steven Adams as dominant rebounding force

“I think we got a really high-level basketball player,” Rafael Stone says of Steven Adams. “A guy who’s been a dominant rebounding force in the NBA.”

During Monday’s press conference to wrap up the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline, Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone addressed a range of subjects related to transactions and beyond.

One of those subjects was the recently completed trade for veteran Steven Adams. While Adams will not be available until next season due to injury, the 6-foot-11 big man brings a wealth of physicality and experience to the table, having started for multiple playoff teams over a distinguished career spanning more than a decade.

Here’s what Stone said of the Adams acquisition:

I think we got a really high-level basketball player. A guy who’s been a dominant rebounding force in the NBA for the last five, six years. One of the best defenders in the NBA. We obviously feel great with Alperen (Şengün) but now we have two starting-level centers next year. Depth is extraordinarily important. He’s a very different player and will be a good complement on and off the court for our group.

The complete video of Stone’s press conference is available below. He went on to say that Adams passed Houston’s physical, and the Rockets believe he will be available for the start of training camp.

Now 30 years old, Adams averaged 8.6 points (59.7% FG) and 11.5 rebounds as the starting center in Memphis last season.

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Rafael Stone shares outlook on Steven Adams trade, post-deadline state of the Rockets

Rafael Stone met with reporters Monday and explained his perspective on the Steven Adams trade, Houston’s otherwise quiet deadline, and much more.

In the end, the recent trade of second-round draft assets to Memphis for veteran center Steven Adams was the only February 2024 move for the Houston Rockets. While Adams is a reliable big man who has started for playoff teams throughout a strong career, the 30-year-old will not be available until next season due to a knee injury.

Despite several rumors going into Thursday’s in-season deadline day for 2023-24 NBA trades, none came to fruition in Houston.

With the deadline transaction window complete, general manager Rafael Stone took questions from reporters prior to Monday’s matchup versus New York (Houston’s first post-deadline home game). First and foremost on the agenda was addressing the completed deal.

“I think we got a really high-level basketball player, a guy who’s been a dominant rebounding force in the NBA for the last five, six years, one of the best defenders in the NBA,” Stone said. “We obviously feel great with Alperen [Sengun], but I just think now we have truly two starter-level centers next year. Depth is just extraordinarily important. But on top of that, he’s just a very different player, and I think will be a good complement on and off the court for our group.”

Topics in the extended Q&A session included motivations for the Adams deal and his health outlook for the 2024-25 campaign; why no other trades got to the finish line this month; and how Stone views the path forward as the team moves through its rebuilding phases.

Here’s our roundup of what Stone told media members on Monday.

NBA trade deadline passes for Rockets without additional moves

Despite a flurry of late rumors, the NBA’s in-season trade deadline came and went without any more moves in Houston (beyond Steven Adams).

As it turned out, the recent trade of second-round draft assets to Memphis for veteran center Steven Adams was the only February 2024 move for the Houston Rockets. While Adams is a reliable big man who has started for playoff teams over a strong career, the 30-year-old will not be available until next season due to a knee injury.

Despite several rumors going into Thursday’s in-season deadline day for 2023-24 NBA trades, none came to fruition in Houston.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle offers an explanation:

Unable to come up with a deal that satisfied their interest in adding immediate help that also worked with their long-term team building, the Rockets did not agree to any more deals before Thursday’s deadline.

The Rockets were cautious about trades this season because of the emergence of rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson and a determination not to bring in players who would limit their playing time unless that short-term help could also make the roster stronger after Thompson and Whitmore developed.

They were also working with confidence that second-year forward Tari Eason would return from his leg injury, adding to the rotation they have used since the start of January without making a roster move.

By position, a reliable backup center behind Alperen Sengun was the most clear need, and it wasn’t addressed by trade.

Yet, it’s not as if the Rockets can’t still make an upgrade. Bismack Biyombo is a free agent, and a handful of players traded for salary reasons (such as Robin Lopez) are expected to be bought out of their existing contracts or waived. In such cases, they become free agents and potentially available to a team such as Houston.

Granted, the names available in midseason free agency aren’t nearly as high-profile as some of the rumored trade targets. But, for a young team such as the Rockets (23-27), who are 12th in the Western Conference, it may not have been worth it to pay a premium for a bigger name at this point of their rebuilding cycle.

It’s also worth noting that Houston’s trade candidates who weren’t dealt, including Jae’Sean Tate, Jock Landale and Jeff Green, will be eligible to be traded in May and June, since all have either a team option or nonguaranteed salary obligations for future seasons.

If the Rockets had opted to move one or more of those players for someone on an expiring contract, they would not have the same financial flexibility for this offseason. A player on a multiyear deal could be a viable alternative, but Adams’ presence complicates that fit.

So, for now, general manager Rafael Stone is standing pat.

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2024 NBA trade deadline: Feb. 6 Houston Rockets rumor updates

With 48 hours to go until the NBA’s in-season trade deadline, will the Rockets pull off any moves beyond Steven Adams? Here’s where things appear to stand.

The NBA’s 2023-24 deadline for in-season trades is fast approaching: 2 p.m. Central on Thursday.

As of Tuesday, with the deadline about 48 hours away, the Rockets have only announced one move. Unfortunately, it will not help this year’s team. Houston agreed to send multiple second-round draft assets to Memphis to acquire veteran big man Steven Adams, who is out for the 2023-24 season but should return in 2024-25 as a very capable backup behind rising star Alperen Sengun.

The Rockets are 23-26 and just outside of the current Western Conference play-in field. Will Rockets general manager Rafael Stone be able to address the backup center’s role on this season’s team? And what about other potential needs, such as more 3-point shooting (referenced recently by head coach Ime Udoka)?

As of Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 6 — with the 2023-24 deadline approximately 48 hours away — here’s our roundup of the latest scuttlebutt.

Rockets leadership reacts to Steven Adams trade acquisition

Dillon Brooks and Ime Udoka were among those Friday who offered their perspective on Houston’s trade acquisition of Steven Adams.

Late Thursday night, the Rockets made official their reported trade agreement to acquire Memphis center Steven Adams. To compensate the Grizzlies and to match salaries, Houston is sending three second-round draft assets and the expiring contract of Victor Oladipo.

The bruising 6-foot-11 big man is out for the 2023-24 season after undergoing knee surgery last October. However, Adams is expected to make a healthy return for the 2024-25 season, in which he will be relied upon as a valuable backup to Alperen Sengun.

On Friday, with the news now official, team personnel were approved to comment on the deal. Beyond head coach Ime Udoka, one obvious subject of expertise is veteran forward Dillon Brooks, who started alongside Adams with the Grizzlies for multiple years on the frontcourt of a Western Conference contender.

With that in mind, here’s what leaders affiliated with the organization had to say about Adams on Friday, which is when the Rockets were prepping for that night’s game versus Toronto.

Now 30 years old, Adams averaged 8.6 points (59.7% FG) and 11.5 rebounds as the starting center in Memphis last season.

Rockets trade second-round draft assets to Memphis for Steven Adams

The Rockets are trading for veteran center Steven Adams to pair with Alperen Sengun, though he won’t be available until next season.

For months, a physical, defensive minded backup center to complement incumbent starter Alperen Sengun has been atop the wishlist of the Houston Rockets. On Thursday, with a week to go until the NBA’s Feb. 8 trade deadline, they finally made it happen.

Unfortunately, they likely won’t reap the benefits until the 2024-25 season. As first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets are sending three second-round picks (two in 2024, and another in 2025) to Memphis for veteran center Steven Adams, who is under contract through 2024-25 at $12.6 million annually.

Now 30 years old, Adams averaged 8.6 points (59.7% FG) and 11.5 rebounds as the starting center in Memphis last season.

The bruising 6-foot-11 big man is out for 2023-24 after undergoing knee surgery but is expected to return healthy in 2024-25. For a team in Houston (22-25) that is improving this season but not yet in contention mode, that delayed gratification makes sense.

The Rockets are using the expiring $9.5-million contract of Victor Oladipo (acquired for Kevin Porter Jr. in October) as the salary matching vehicle to make the deal work under league rules. For Memphis, the primary incentives are the second-round picks and the financial flexibility once Oladipo rolls off their books this summer.

Here’s our look at immediate reaction to the deal, both from media members and fans who actively follow the Rockets.