The Athletic's beat reporter William Guillory exclusively reported on Thursday that Houston Rockets center Steven Adams has successfully undergone surgery on his left ankle injury, but will be ruled out the rest of the season.

According to the report, Adams recently confirmed he had successfully undergone the surgery himself via his personal social media account, thanking everyone who sent their well wishes and prayers.

On January 20th, Rockets head coach Ime Vudoka confirmed that Adams had undergone an injury scan by team doctors, which revealed a very serious Grade 3 sprain in his left ankle, meaning the player would face a long-term absence with an uncertain return date. The news of Adams' season-ending injury is undoubtedly a major blow to the team's frontcourt strength.

If Adams had performed well, the Rockets could have set a historic offensive rebounding record. Now, they will have to rely on Clint Capela as a backup center for star center Alperen Şengün.

The Rockets currently have a record of 28 wins and 16 losses, only one game behind the second-place San Antonio Spurs.

Ahead of the NBA trade deadline on February 5th, the Houston Rockets may seek to bolster their frontcourt depth in the trade market due to Adams' season-ending injury.

However, sources indicate they remain confident in Clint Capela's potential contribution to the team's rotation.

The 32-year-old Steven Adams is having one of his best seasons in recent years after recovering from a knee injury.

Having played only 100 games in the previous three seasons due to knee injuries, he now faces another ankle injury, forcing him to undergo another lengthy rehabilitation process.

Before suffering an injury in the January 18th win against the New Orleans Pelicans, Adams averaged only 22.8 minutes per game, but his offensive rebounding still ranked fourth in the league.

Last summer, Adams signed a three-year, $39 million contract extension, which will keep him with the Rockets for the next two seasons.

This season, Adams has played 32 games for the NBA team so far, averaging 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, with a field goal percentage of 50.4%.

Image source: Internet / The Athletic