The Houston Rockets are doubling down on size and toughness. The franchise announced that it had acquired bruising veteran center Steven Adams in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.
As part of the trade, the Rockets sent former All-Star guard Victor Oladipo and three second-round selections to Memphis.
Adams is currently recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of action since early 2023. He likely won’t play in 2023-24 but is expected to return to full health in time for the next season. When that happens, Houston will have a reliable backup center who can crash the boards on both ends while playing strong defense.
Oladipo, who has two All-Star nods to his name, has also been out since last April. He remains out indefinitely but reportedly could be ready to return to court before the end of the season.
For the Rockets, the trade allowed them to turn Oladipo’s expiring contract into a useful player in Adams, even if he isn’t able to contribute right now.
The Grizzlies, on the other hand, picked up draft compensation that they can use in future trades. They could potentially also trade Oladipo to a team looking for cap flexibility to get more draft picks. Additionally, the team also got to move on from Adams’ contract, which pays him $12.5 million in 2024-25.
