Rockets Sign Veteran Star to Lucrative Contract Extension originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Houston Rockets have agreed to terms on a new long-term contract extension with one of their critical playoff contributors.
After an encouraging 53-win regular season run in 2024-25, Houston earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, appearing in the postseason for the first time in five years.
Clearly, Houston’s new decision is a sign that Rockets brass believes in this roster, despite mixed results in this spring’s playoffs.
Sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN that Houston has inked backup center Steven Adams to a generous three-season, $39 million extension.
Just In: Houston Rockets center Steven Adams has agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension to stay with the franchise, sources tell ESPN. After playing a key rotation and leadership role in the Rockets’ playoff run, the new deal keeps a top center out of free agency. pic.twitter.com/yWUnnQrRgh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 14, 2025
As Charania notes, Adams will now avoid reaching free agency this summer.
The 6-foot-11 big man, 31, sat out the entire 2023-24 NBA season with an injury. That year, Adams was traded to Houston from Western Conference rival the Memphis Grizzlies.
Charania notes that the Rockets posted a plus-44 plus-minus during the team’s minutes playing Adams, and a brutal minus-44 when the seasoned veteran center sat.
Adams played 58 games after missing the 2023-24 season, and averaged 22.1 minutes in the playoffs in a critical role for a team that was +44 with him on the floor versus -44 without. Adams led the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage this season as well, per ESPN Research. https://t.co/vkPclEqOxV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 14, 2025
Across 58 healthy contests during the regular season, Adams averaged 3.9 points on 54.5 percent shooting from the floor, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.5 blocks a night in 13.7 minutes per, but his numbers belie his overall impact, especially around the low post and at the rim on both sides of the ball.
He saw his minutes (ahem) rocket up to 22.1 per during a hotly contested seven-game first round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors this spring. Adams responded with improved averages of 5.7 points on 60 percent field goal shooting and 53.3 percent free throw shooting, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 rejections a night.
Flexible Rockets head coach Ime Udoka frequently opted to explore two-big lineups against the vertically-challenged Warriors, playing Adams next to All-Star starting center Alperen Sengun.
The team did ultimately fall short to a more experienced Golden State squad, but the series appeared to be an appetizing blueprint for how this young Rockets squad can compete for years to come.
Which Rockets players will be rostered going forward remains an open question, especially as Houston boasts the No. 10 pick in what’s supposedly a loaded 2025 NBA Draft.
Sengun and shooting guard Jalen Green, both 2021 draftees, will get major pay bumps next year. Sengun signed a five-year, $185 million rookie-scale contract extension, while Green agreed to a three-season, $105 million extension. Whether those two offense-first players, both of whom thrive with the ball in their hands, can truly exist together as co-stars remains to be seen.
Related: Houston Rockets Prioritize Resigning Steven Adams
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.