At the onset of the 2023 NBA offseason, the Houston Rockets were targeting a starting-caliber center with a defensive bent, the byproduct of their dissatisfaction with fan favorite Alperen Sengun's defense. Initially linked to Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, the Rockets ended up settling for Jock Landale.
The 27-year-old Landale went undrafted in 2018 out of Saint Mary's, where he was an All-American in his senior season. To that point, to say Landale lacks the talent necessary to be deserving of a spot with the Rockets would be incorrect. The problem with Houston signing Landale is simply that his best contributions have been on the offensive end, with his lack of foot speed and shot-blocking potential leading to him being a below-average defender.
For that reason, when looking at the Rockets' team needs, a defensive-minded center should be their top trade target.
To that end, Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela might be the most realistic trade target. Not only are the Hawks motivated to move Capela due to their desire to give Onyeka Okongwu a more prominent role, but Capela spent the first six seasons of his career with the Rockets after they selected him with the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. However, with Capela making $42.9 million over the next two seasons, the Swiss Bank may be outside of their price range.
Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams, who may be available for the right offer given Memphis's clutter of big men, is not though. Adams will make $25.2 million over the next two seasons, which is right inside Houston's budget considering the players that they will want to hold onto in a trade.
1 trade Rockets still must target…
Houston Rockets receive: Steven Adams
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Jae'Sean Tate, two second-round picks (or a future first-round pick)
What Steven Adams brings to the Rockets
The first order of business when discussing Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams's impact is to highlight his strength and toughness, as the Big Kiwi is widely regarded as the strongest player in the league and has routinely played through injuries.
This has boded well for his durability, with Adams playing in at least 80 games in four seasons and missing fewer than 10 games in seven different seasons. However, these are also the type of characteristics that will rub off on a young and impressionable Houston Rockets team.
With that said, Adams's physical strength also has a practical impact, as it helps the big man on both ends of the floor.
Let's start with the offensive end.
When it comes to how his strength has impacted his presence on the glass, it's worth noting that Adams has averaged 4.3 offensive rebounds per game over the past seven seasons. He's also been in the top-five of offensive rebounding percent over the past five seasons. For a team with multiple starters who shot below 42 percent from the field last season, having a player that can clean up those misses is essential for the Rockets.
With his length and timing, Alperen Sengun averaged 3.2 offensive rebounds per game last season. His two-inch growth spurt should only help him in that area, no matter how incrementally. Nonetheless, Houston projects to have a lot of misses.
Adams's strength also helps him offensively by allowing him to set bone-cracking screens, which led to him averaging a league-high 5.6 screen assists per game (for 12.6 screen assist points per game) last season. For players that constantly utilize screens to create space for shot attempts or to operate in the pick-and-roll, such as Rockets' ball-handlers Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, and Kevin Porter Jr., Adams's being an elite screen-setter helps them plenty. This could be especially true for VanVleet, who stands at just 6-foot-1 and only has one season shooting above 42 percent from the field.
Defensively, its Adams's vocal cords rather than his muscle cords that do most of the heavy lifting, as his communication on that end of the floor allows him to be the Grizzlies' anchor. Furthermore, to excel in this area speaks to his basketball IQ and attention to detail, given the information he has to be able to retain about opposing team's and the concepts that he has to be able to understand.
However, make no doubt that Adams's size, strength and toughness help him plenty in this area too. He's not a world-class shot-blocker or anything like that; it's just that he has no issue tussling with other big men as a 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds big man with a rugby background. When the Rockets face a team like the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, or any other with a star center, they would be much better off having Adams than not.
Follow Us
Subscribe