HOUSTON, TEXAS – MAY 04: Steven Adams #12 of the Houston Rockets celebrates with Fred VanVleet #5 against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter in Game Seven of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 04, 2025 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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The Rockets breathed a major sigh of relief over the weekend when they learned that Steven Adams had not suffered a serious injury that would cause him to miss the rest of the season. Adams went down late in the fourth quarter of the team’s January 18 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, grabbing his lower left leg and ankle. He appeared to be in serious pain and needed to be helped to the locker room. At the time, the injury was believed to be serious.
But postgame, head coach Ime Udoka said imaging showed a left ankle sprain with “nothing broken.” Reports describe Adams as likely week-to-week, emphasizing that the injury looked worse than it was.
Adams has been one of the Rockets’ key contributors ever since he was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in 2024 as part of a trade in which the Rockets sacrificed just second round picks. In June 2025, Adams agreed to a three-year, $39 million extension that will keep him anchoring Houston’s second units defensively for the remainder of his prime.
Since he was acquired, Adams has made an immediate impact on the team, not just in the lockerroom with his veteran presence, but on the boards and setting screens offensively to free up shooters. The Rockets crushed teams last season when Adams and starting center Alperen Sengun played together in a “double-big” lineup, as most opponents could not handle the combination of size and physicality. This year, while the pairing has not had the same effect, Houston has continued to punish teams on the glass with Adams on the floor.
Now, the Rockets will have to prepare for life without Adams for an extended period of time. Veteran big man Clint Capela was signed in the summer to play as a backup to Adams to allow Udoka to keep Adams fresh and hold him out of back to backs. Now Capela becomes the primary backup for a team that will suddenly be much smaller. Would the Rockets look to the trade market for help? It’s possible, but seems unlikely that general manager Rafael Stone would expend capital on a backup center when the team has other glaring needs.
For now, the Rockets will have to hold the fort until Adams is able to return.