New Zealand basketball center Steven Adams has agreed to a three-year, USD $39 million ($65million) contract extension to stay with the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN. The new deal keeps a top center out of free agency after playing a key rotation and leadership role in the franchise’s playoff run.
The Kiwi NBA star was off contract this season, but according to ESPN, he will remain in Houston after being traded to the Rockets from the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2024.
He missed the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury but played an instrumental role during the 2024-25 season as the Rockets bagged the second position in the Western Conference before falling to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
Adams, 32, stepped into the world of the NBA in 2013. A three-year deal would see the top center in the league until 2028. According to Basketball Reference, Adams has already earned around US$159m ($264.7m) across his career to date. This new deal would take him over the $300 million mark.
In the 2024-25 season, Adams appeared in 58 games, averaging 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, as the team ended up in the second position 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 is often seen as a key contributor in the playoffs.
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In the playoffs, he averages 22.1 minutes per game with 5.7 points and 6.6 rebounds. His defensive presence and offensive reboundary played a pivotal role in the Rockets’ playoff run. Adams has played in 11 NBA seasons, spending his first seven in Oklahoma City.