Steven Adams

Steven Adams

31-Year-Old CenterC
Houston Rockets
GTD
Injury Knee
Est. Return 11/8/2024
2024 Fantasy Outlook
While out for the season due to knee surgery, Adams was traded to Houston during the 2023-24 campaign. He should be healthy coming into 2024-25, but his role on a young Rockets squad is unclear. Alperen Sengun is locked in as the starting center, a role he flourished in last season by putting up career-high numbers across the board. This would mean that, at best, Adams will serve as the primary backup, playing no more than 20 minutes off the bench. However, the Rockets also have Jock Landale, who doesn't have a high upside but has more appeal on the offensive end of the floor than Adams. During his last healthy season in Memphis, Adams finished outside the top 300 in nine-category leagues despite playing 27.0 minutes per game. Given his playing time will likely be significantly reduced, there is no reason to think he can be anything but an elite streaming option for anyone needing rebounds and efficient, yet low-volume scoring. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Current Season
From Preseason
#197
ADP
$Signed a two-year, $25.2 million contract extension with the Grizzlies in October of 2022. Traded to the Rockets in February of 2024.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary

Steven Adams is the first ever first-round pick and lottery pick to come out of New Zealand throughout NBA Draft history. He was drafted in 2013. Adams is one of 18 siblings, six of whom played basketball for New Zealand. All of his brothers range in height from 6-feet-10 to 6-feet-11. His sisters are all between 6-feet-5 and 6-feet-6. It's a big family. Steven's half-sister, Dame Valerie Adams, is a two-time Olympic shot put gold medalist as well as a four-time World Champion. Adams plays the guitar and is a Meatloaf fan. He's been conducting free basketball camps for kids in New Zealand since 2013. Follow Adams on Twitter @RealStevenAdams and on Instagram @stevenadams. Before the NBA, Adams followed an interesting path. He graduated from Scotts College (a prep school in the suburbs of Strathmore Wellington, New Zealand) in December 2011. While at Scotts, he also played ball for the Wellington Saints of New Zealand's National Basketball League. Adams played without pay to maintain his American college eligibility. The big center then moved to the United States and enrolled at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts for one semester. Playing for Notre Dame helped Adams better understand American basketball. He then enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in June 2012. Adams stayed at Pitt for one season, starting in 32 games. He averaged 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting an impressive 57.1 percent from the field. That production led to Adams being named to the Big East All-Rookie Team. Adams then declared for the 2013 NBA Draft and was selected 12th overall by the Thunder.

Questionable to face OKC
CHouston Rockets
Knee
November 7, 2024
Adams (knee) is questionable to play Friday against the Thunder.
ANALYSIS
Adams is working his way back from a gruesome knee injury, and while he's already made three appearances off the bench this season, the Rockets are being cautious with him. The veteran big man should operate as Alperen Sengun's backup at center if deemed available, though a decision on his status will be made closer to Friday's 8 p.m. ET tipoff time.
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Stat Review
How does Steven Adams compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
  • True Shooting %
    An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
  • Effective Field Goal %
    A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
  • 3-Point Attempt Rate
    Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
  • Free Throw Rate
    Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
  • Offensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Defensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Total Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Assist %
    An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
  • Steal %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Block %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Turnover %
    An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
  • Usage %
    An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
  • Fantasy Points Per Game
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
  • Fantasy Points Per Minute
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
54.3%
 
Effective Field Goal %
57.1%
 
3-Point Attempt Rate
0.0%
 
Free Throw Rate
71.4%
 
Offensive Rebound %
13.7%
 
Defensive Rebound %
11.8%
 
Total Rebound %
12.8%
 
Assist %
21.5%
 
Steal %
1.2%
 
Block %
0.0%
 
Turnover %
11.5%
 
Usage %
12.5%
 
Fantasy Points Per Game
10.3
 
Fantasy Points Per Minute
0.8
 
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Average Fantasy Points
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Steven Adams was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
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2015
2014
2013
Adams has seen his scoring drop over the last three seasons, while his rebounding has improved over the last two. In fact, he averaged a career-best 11.5 rebounds with Memphis last year after averaging 10 boards a game during the 2021-22 season. His steals and blocks were also trending in the wrong direction, but he did average 1.1 swats per game last season, along with 0.9 steals and a gaudy 59.7 percent shooting efficiency from the floor. Adams is a career 53.6 percent free throw shooter but saw that drop to an embarrassing 36.4 percent in 42 games with Memphis last season. Adams suffered a sprained PCL in his right knee in January and never saw the court after. He should be ready for the start of the upcoming season and will battle Xavier Tillman and Santi Aldama for minutes in the middle for the Grizzlies. Adams was only worth a 15th-round fantasy pick on a per-game basis last season, and a lot of that was tied to his atrocious free throw shooting. If you need a center late in your draft and you're punting free throws, he's worth a look. But he's also 30 years old and is on the wrong side of his career arc for most fantasy managers at this point.
Adams and Jonas Valanciunas were traded for each other last summer, and both succeeded in their new environments. With the Grizzlies, Adams continued to produce rebounds at a healthy rate (10.0) in fantasy despite playing just 26.3 minutes per game. He also added a new passing wrinkle to his game, averaging a career-high 3.4 assists. The veteran also posted 6.9 points on 54.7 percent shooting from the field and 54.3 percent from the charity stripe, not to mention 1.7 combined steals-plus-blocks. This resulted in Adams ranking 164th in per-game fantasy production - similar to his 2020-21 rank of 187. Adams has poor touch around the hoop and wasn't featured as much as a pick-and-roll threat he had been in the past because the Grizzlies had superior options. He generated most of his offense through nabbing offensive rebounds and tossing the ball back up, averaging a ridiculous 6.3 offensive boards per 36 minutes. It's understandable for fantasy managers to have some reservations about drafting Adams since he was used so inconsistently in the postseason, drawing four consecutive DNPs in the middle of the Grizzlies' playoff run and averaging just 16.2 minutes in his seven appearances. However, Adams' presence will be needed with Jaren Jackson (foot) out for potentially half the season. Xavier Tillman, Santi Aldama and other frontcourt players figure to see time at center as well, but Adams' ability to set punishing brick-wall screens and dominate the offensive glass will always keep him relevant during the regular season. He's a fringe standard league option at this point, but he's a justifiable late pick given the scarcity of serviceable centers.
After seven seasons with the Thunder, the team that drafted him, Adams was dealt to the Pelicans last season. He continued to start but saw a reduced offensive role alongside the likes of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Adams garnered 27.7 minutes per game and averaged 7.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and a combined 1.6 steals-plus-blocks. The result was Adams' worst fantasy season since 2014-15, with the center ranking 187th in per-game production. The 28-year-old will join another new team this season, as he was dealt from New Orleans to Memphis over the summer in exchange for, most meaningfully, Jonas Valanciunas. Adams will presumably start at center for the Grizzlies, where he should play the same role he always has -- being a devastating screen setter and a premier offensive rebounder. It's possible Adams reclaims some fantasy value since the team construction around him makes more sense with floor-spacing power forward in Jaren Jackson rather than Zion Williamson. Fantasy managers' main hope should be that Adams can start playing 30-plus minutes per game again compared to the 27.1 minutes he's averaged over the past two seasons. It may also help Adams to have a more dynamic point guard to run the pick-and-roll with in Ja Morant compared to Lonzo Ball last season. Optimistic fantasy managers can justifiably select Adams in the late rounds of a standard draft but shouldn't feel like he's a must-roster if he starts the season slowly.
Adams saw a reduced workload in 2019-20, playing 26.7 minutes per game -- his lowest mark since 2015-16. The big man was still effective and fantasy-relevant, averaging 10.9 points on 59.2 percent shooting, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 combined blocks-plus-steals. Adams also collected 22 double-doubles and three games with at least 15 points and 15 boards. During the offseason, he was dealt from the Thunder -- the team that drafted him -- to the Pelicans as OKC cleaned house. With the Pelicans, Adams figures to start at center and could see a similar workload and usage. New Orleans will likely try to bring second-year center Jaxon Hayes along, and Zion Williamson could see some action at center as well. However, given that the Pelicans play at a fast pace, it wouldn't be surprising for Adams to see a bump raw production. Ultimately, it seems like Adams can continue to be drafted anywhere from the fifth round on.
Adams improved his play once again in 2018-19, matching a career-high with 13.9 points and setting new career highs with 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.5 combined blocks/steals in 33.4 minutes per night. He produced 29 double-doubles in 80 games and showed that he could be a force on both ends of the court. His defense and rebounding give him a high fantasy floor, and his ability to score when needed (13 games of at least 20 points last season) gives him some upside as well. Adams' role and production have grown each of the last three seasons, and with Russell Westbrook gone, there's a good chance it could grow again in 2019-20 with increased opportunities for points and rebounds. The Thunder added Danilo Gallinari through the Westbrook trade, but as a stretch-four, he's not a threat to take work from Adams. Adams is likely to see heavy minutes in the frontcourt once again, and his risk of missing time is minimal, as he's missed just 25 games over his six-year career. The 26-year-old center still has room for improvement, and another statistical jump wouldn't be surprising. As the Thunder begin to rebuild in the post-Westbrook era, Adams should be a stabilizing force and a valuable fantasy contributor across multiple categories.
Adams, who has been Oklahoma City’s starting center over the past four campaigns, cracked 30 minutes per game for the first time as a pro last season. He set career highs nearly across the board, averaging 13.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and a combined 2.2 steals/blocks. Notably, he ranked second in the league in total offensive rebounds (384), fourth in field-goal percentage (62.9) and collected 28 double-doubles across 76 appearances. In addition to his quality play, Adams’ Fantasy value gets a boost due to his nearly spotless health, averaging 77.4 games played through his first five seasons. General Manager Sam Presti opted to improve the Thunder’s extremely thin bench over the offseason, bringing in free agent Nerlens Noel. However, the move isn't expected to affect Adams’ playing time, as Noel hasn't quite lived up to his potential and signed a deal just worth under $2 million per year. Overall, Adams’ Fantasy stock should remain similar to last season, though improvement is still feasible considering he just turned 25 years old.
Adams enters the first year of his four-year, $100 million contract extension as one of the league’s up-and-coming centers. The contract and high praise seem to be warranted from a basketball perspective, but not as much from a Fantasy perspective. Still only 24 years old, Adams compiled career-best averages of 11.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals last season. That made him valuable across just about every format, but 28 other players outrebounded Adams on a per-game basis while 34 other players blocked more shots per game -- Adams averaged exactly one block per game last season. Granted, he’ll have a chance to surpass those career-best averages yet again this coming season, but the ceiling is low considering that Russell Westbrook and Paul George will seemingly dominate every Thunder possession.
While his value largely comes on the defensive end, Adams was able to shore up some of his offensive deficiencies in his second season as a full-time starter, averaging a career-high 8.0 points per game while shooting 61.3 percent from the floor. Despite the increase in scoring, he saw his playing time remain nearly the same as the year before, receiving 25.2 minutes per outing. However, Adams could push for additional time during the upcoming season after his coming-out party in the playoffs. Over 18 postseason tilts, Adams averaged 10.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 30.7 minutes per game, providing the Thunder with a dependable anchor at the back end against some of the Western Conference’s top teams. With Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka no longer with the team, Adams will have ample opportunity to raise his outputs on both ends of the floor in 2016-17. Adams is bound for restricted free agency arriving next summer, and since a breakout season could make him a hot commodity on the open market, he’ll have every incentive to take on a more increased role for the Thunder.
Adams averaged 7.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 0.5 steals in 25 minutes per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from the line last season. He beat out Kendrick Perkins for the starting job last season, starting 67 of the 70 games he played. With Billy Donovan taking over the coaching reigns for the Thunder, it's unclear whether Adams or former Jazz big man Enes Kanter will earn the starting center spot. Kanter was the starter at the end of the season while Adams recovered from a broken hand, but no one knows what Donovan is thinking in regard to the Thunder's rotation. While Adams is extremely limited on offense, he has proven to be a defensive anchor for the Thunder. At age 22, he is still very young and has room to develop his game beyond the paint. Although the 7-footer will split time with Kanter this season, he could have sleeper value in most formats if he develops more on offense this season and sees enough minutes.
The 12th overall pick from the 2013 draft played in 81 games as a rookie, making 20 starts in all. Adams played 15 minutes per game and averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 0.5 steals during the regular season but saw his role grow come playoff time. He averaged 22 minutes in the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers and 23 minutes per game in the Western Conference finals versus the San Antonio Spurs, with the seven-footer's athleticism and high-energy play consistently earning him more minutes than starter Kendrick Perkins. Only 21 years old, the potential is certainly there for Adams, though he'll need to work on his free-throw shooting after connecting on only 58 percent of his attempts in 2013-14. Regardless, we believe there's a strong possibility the young Kiwi will take over as the team's starting center sooner rather than later, giving him some sleeper appeal in most formats.
The rookie from Pitt impressed NBA cognoscenti with his measurables and upside enough to be a lottery pick. The native of New Zealand did not put up numbers as a college freshman and will require a great deal of seasoning to become Nick Collison 2.0.
More Fantasy News
Sitting out against San Antonio
CHouston Rockets
Knee
November 5, 2024
Adams (knee) won't play in Wednesday's game versus the Spurs.
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Will play vs. Knicks
CHouston Rockets
November 4, 2024
Adams (knee) is available for Monday's game against the Knicks, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post reports.
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Deemed questionable for Monday
CHouston Rockets
Knee
November 3, 2024
Adams (knee) is questionable for Monday's game against the Knicks, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
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Won't play against Golden State
CHouston Rockets
Knee
November 1, 2024
Adams is out for Saturday's game versus the Warriors due to right knee injury recovery.
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Cleared to play
CHouston Rockets
October 31, 2024
Adams (knee) will play Thursday night against the Mavericks, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Return date remains uncertain
CHouston Rockets
October 24, 2024
Adams is dealing with a left calf strain while recovering from the knee injury that made him miss the entire 2023-24 season, and his status has been described as "game to game, head coach Ime Udoka told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
ANALYSIS
Adams was questionable for Wednesday's season opener against Charlotte before sitting out, and he's already been ruled out of Friday's matchup against the Grizzlies as well. However, Udoka's words suggest the veteran big man could return to the court sooner rather than later.
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