Sources - Rockets' Adams agrees to 3-year, $39M extension

Houston Rockets center Steven Adams has agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension to stay with the franchise, sources told ESPN on Saturday.

Rockets officials and Adams’ agents at Wasserman negotiated the new, fully guaranteed contract through 2028, sources said.

Adams, who turns 32 next month, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He was a significant priority for the Rockets after playing a key rotation and leadership role in Houston’s first playoff run since 2020. Adams expressed a desire to stay with the Rockets long term, and Houston’s front office matched the enthusiasm to reach an agreement Saturday.

The deal takes one of the top centers off the free agency market.

Adams had until June 30 to sign an extension with the Rockets. Houston now has until June 29 to make a decision on guard Fred VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option, and there is mutual interest on a reunion, sources said.

After missing all of 2023-24 due to knee surgery, Adams appeared in 58 games this season and averaged 22.1 minutes per game in the playoffs. He was a crucial part of the zone defense that flummoxed the Warriors at times in their first-round series; the Rockets were plus-44 with Adams on the court against Golden State and minus-44 with him off.

A veteran of 11 NBA seasons, Adams is a prolific offensive rebounder who led the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage and helped the Rockets become the top team on the offensive glass this season.