Rockets wait on Steven Adams, decisions with No. 10 pick and a looming Giannis question

New York Times

2 days ago

It's been nearly a month since the Houston Rockets last played, with the NBA schedule shifting towards a Thunder-Pacers matchup and the final weeks of the 2024-25 season.
A busy summer awaits, but team officials are already at work. The draft combine is over, individual workouts and scouting trips are underway and big-picture planning is on the docket. Judging from the tone from the last public appearance by both head coach Ime Udoka and general manager Rafael Stone, optimism for the organization's immediate future is high — despite a first-round exit. Having gotten their first taste of postseason basketball, Houston's youthful core will only yearn for more and the blend of veterans and an experienced coaching staff are looking to improve on a 52-win season.
Let's look at the Rockets' initial summer plans, about a month away from free agency: in-house dealings, options with the No. 10 pick, potential targets and more.
• As the Rockets brass continue to maneuver through offseason mode — conducting draft workouts, tying up loose ends with exit interviews and prepping for a pivotal summer — they'll need to address several key potential free agents on the roster. Veterans Steven Adams, Jeff Green and Jae'Sean Tate will be unrestricted free agents as of June 30 — but of the trio, Adams is seen as the clear priority, team sources told The Athletic.
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The 31-year-old's career revival this season — recovering from a right knee injury and becoming a critical part of Udoka's late-season rotation — is the reason hammering out his future is arguably Houston's top priority, those sources said. But because of his two-way production, particularly his elite offensive rebounding, the possibility of Adams being lured away by a playoff team exists. Adams, who earned $12.6 million last season, would be a natural fit for teams such as San Antonio, New York, Indiana and both Los Angeles organizations. But the Rockets are operating under the assumption Adams wants to return — and will continue to speak with his representation about a possible extension, team sources said.
• If Adams leaves, team sources said the Rockets could reignite their interest in Brook Lopez. The 37-year-old, who averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game shooting 37 percent from 3 in Milwaukee last season, was previously a target for Houston and would theoretically be a fit, given his two-way production and health (played 237 games over the last three seasons). Houston is also anticipating conversations with Boston's front office, with the assumption that the Celtics, who are in salary-reduction mode, will canvass the league looking to offload contracts.
• Houston is expected to bring guard Fred VanVleet back, according to both team and league sources, either by picking up his $44.9 million team option for the 2025-26 season or negotiating a new deal at a lower, team-friendly salary. The likelihood VanVleet plays for a different team next season is slim, those sources said. The NBA champion has expressed his desire to stay, citing a stable team environment. Because of this, the Rockets, who have a good working relationship with VanVleet's representatives (Rich Paul and Andy Miller), envision him in their immediate future.
But the faint possibility that VanVleet's salary could become useful can't be ignored. For example, if Houston were to pick up his team option and a superstar were suddenly available, his $44.9 million salary could potentially reduce the number of outgoing players because of the contract size. However, the Rockets see him as an important reason for their recent success and want to continue improving with him.
• The Rockets' young talent, draft capital and team success (winning 41 and 52 games over the past two seasons) make them a natural fit for star players who may become available. As mentioned last month, longterm interest in Suns star guard Devin Booker has cooled, team and league sources said.
Having been a desired target for a while, Houston's decision to pivot from Booker is the result of a few factors; his lowest-scoring season since 2021, his worst shooting season since 2019, a hefty $100 million price tag, internal belief that Phoenix will extend Booker, lack of desire to gut a rising contender and the continued growth of fourth-year guard Jalen Green.
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The latter, which has become a polarizing talking point on social media, is arguably the most important internally. Green's playoff struggles against Golden State are viewed as an opportunity for improvement in key areas, with the organization placing more onus on his production over an 82-game season than one series. But outside of Green, Houston's desire to keep its young core together is strong, team sources said. Internal calculus concerning any potential star and their projected trajectory would be compared to, say, the high ceilings of an Amen Thompson or Alperen Şengün, who both earned NBA honors this season.
• This is not to say the Rockets and Suns are not in communication. On the contrary, Phoenix is aggressive in pursuit of a) trading Kevin Durant and b) regaining full control of their draft capital starting with the No. 10 pick in next month's draft, team sources said. Since the conclusion of the season, Houston has fielded several calls from Phoenix, who have since gradually lowered their asking price for Durant, those sources said. There is a price where the Rockets would be interested, but with a fear of breaking up their roster for a 36-year-old coming off injury, doubt remains over a deal materializing.
• Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo remains a target, team sources said, but there has been recent uncertainty in the past week on Antetokounmpo's actual availability — not to mention the potential asking price Milwaukee would require.
• As the coaching staff ponders changes and improvements for next season, the role of guard Reed Sheppard has come to the forefront. Last season's No. 3 pick in the draft, is slated for a vastly expanded role, team sources said, citing Sheppard's floor spacing and IQ as much-needed qualities for a Rockets team that struggled in the halfcourt. Sheppard appeared in 52 games during his rookie campaign, averaging under 13 minutes per game, but there was a concerted effort to bring him up to speed — including a fruitful G League stint with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Sheppard is regarded within team circles as having an extremely high ceiling, which the coaching staff wants to tap into as soon as possible.
• A larger chunk of playing time for Sheppard would diminish veteran Aaron Holiday's role. Holiday emerged as a trusted option under Udoka over the past two seasons. He has a $4.9 million team option for next season, but the Rockets, who have expressed a desire to retain him, would likely wait and see how the rest of the roster pans out, along with the market, before circling back. Jeff Green and Tate, both of whom Houston is fond of, fall into a similar category. There's a possibility that only veteran minimum contracts would be available.
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• Houston's brass will continue to speak with representation for both Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr., both of whom are extension-eligible this summer. According to team sources, they are comfortable matching any offer that would come for either in restricted free agency in 2026, assuming that a deal isn't agreed upon this offseason. Eason and Smith have been key cogs in Udoka's setup, with a two-way, unselfish approach that meshes well with the roster.
• A handful of teams have inquired about the availability of sparingly-used wing Cam Whitmore, league and team sources said. Since being drafted with the No. 20 pick in 2023, Whitmore has struggled to entrench himself in Udoka's tight rotation and at times has expressed his displeasure at the end of the bench, but there is still optimism about his potential and rotation spot — having shown strong periods of play over the last two seasons. At this stage, neither Whitmore nor his representation has requested a trade and both sides are hopeful of finding a solution.
• For the draft later this month, the Rockets, who hold the No. 10 pick, have received interest in the selection, team sources said — ironically fielding more calls than when Houston had top-six picks over the last four years. (It's typically difficult to pull off a trade for a top-six pick, which tends to lessen the interest.) Houston is open to moving the selection, team sources said, either by trading down or out of the draft entirely. The Rockets are also open to pairing the pick with a player in a trade if such a situation should present itself, sources said. In the case of staying in the draft and trading down or out, moving out of the 10th slot would make their current cap sheet more palatable, especially ahead of a summer that stands to see significant movement across the league.
• Houston's brass is in the process of its draft evaluation. During this month's combine in Chicago, the Rockets interviewed several prospects and had eyes on workouts and pro days in both Chicago and Los Angeles.
For the Rockets, the question becomes whether or not a player selected in next month's draft has a path to playing time. The likes of Sheppard and Whitmore struggled to become mainstays and any future arrival would likely face the same fate.
One consistent theme from this year's incoming draft class was the quality of individual team interviews. Meetings with Arizona's Carter Bryant, Duke's Khaman Maluach, and South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles — all players who could be available at 10 — were described as 'excellent,' team sources said, citing stellar on-court knowledge and overall basketball IQ.
(Top photo of Steven Adams:)