The Houston Rockets appreciated Steven Adams’ contributions last season but added Clint Capela during the offseason for backup. This decision proved vital as Adams will miss the remainder of the season due to injury.
Adams, 32, hurt his ankle on January 18. Just ten days later, it was announced he would need surgery, sidelining him for the season. Capela is now positioned as the backup center to Alperen Sengun and may also play alongside him in the Rockets’ double-big configurations.
Clint Capela’s contract fits within payroll limits
Last season, Adams was highly effective, averaging only 13.7 minutes per game while leading the NBA in rebound rate. He recorded 10.2 offensive rebounds and 20 total rebounds for every 100 possessions. In the playoffs, the Rockets increased his minutes, often pairing him with Sengun in lineups that excelled on the boards and limited the Golden State Warriors’ offense in a hard-fought seven-game series.
The team was careful with Adams, having traded for him as a significant rim protector during the 2023-24 season, in which he did not play at all. He was out from January 22, 2023, until October 28, 2024, and the Rockets rested him during back-to-back games for the first two months of the current season.
Despite these precautions, he still suffered a serious injury this season.