The Houston Rockets have agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension with center Steven Adams.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the deal will officially take effect in July, ensuring that the experienced center continues to play for the Rockets.

Adams, 31, was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Houston Rockets in February 2024. Although he has just recovered from knee surgery, he has played 58 games for the team this season, including 3 starts, averaging 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

In the playoffs, Adams showed a stable performance in the series against the Golden State Warriors, averaging 22.1 minutes per game, scoring 5.7 points and 6.6 rebounds, becoming an important rotation in the young lineup.

In the 2023-24 season, the Houston Rockets ranked second in the Western Conference with 52 wins and 30 losses. Although they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the team showed a strong momentum of revival under the leadership of head coach Ime Udoka.

Adams' contract extension not only fills the depth of the restricted area, but also brings valuable experience and leadership to the young core group with an average age of only 24.9 years old. Adams was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 12th pick in the 2013 draft. After playing for seven years, he moved to the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.

This contract extension shows that the Houston Rockets have begun to lay out a championship window on the basis of reconstruction. Veterans such as Adams, VanVleet, Brooks and others will serve as pillars to safeguard the growth of young players such as Alperen Sengong, Jabari Smith and Jalen Green.