Season-ending injury confirmed! Adams undergoes left ankle surgery, Rockets seek frontcourt reinforcements to cover the loss

On January 29 Beijing time, ESPN reporter Shams reported that Rockets center Steven Adams underwent surgery for a left ankle injury and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season. The Rockets officially announced the news shortly after. Adams himself posted a photo from his hospital bed after surgery: everything went smoothly, and he thanked everyone for their care and prayers.

Adams sustained the injury on January 19 during the Rockets’ victory over the Pelicans, when he landed awkwardly after defending Zion’s shot, resulting in a sprained ankle. Last week, he was diagnosed with a grade 3 ankle sprain and was immediately placed on the indefinite injury list.

Now 32 years old, Adams missed parts of the 2022-23 season and the entire 2023-24 season due to a knee injury. Last season, the Houston Rockets adopted a cautious approach to his return, with Adams averaging a career-low 13.7 minutes over 58 games. However, in the 2025-26 season, the big man showed clear improvement, playing 32 games (11 starts) with an increased average of 22.8 minutes per game.

Although his minutes have decreased compared to his peak years with the Thunder, Pelicans, and Grizzlies, Adams remains a vital part of the Rockets’ tactical setup this season — ranking among the league leaders with 4.5 offensive rebounds per game. Thanks to his strong rebounding efforts, the Rockets lead the NBA in both rebound rate and offensive rebound rate.

The Rockets still possess sufficient depth in their frontcourt, with veteran Capela serving as a backup for Sengun. However, the team’s top-five offensive ranking owes much to their big lineups with dominant rebounders. Therefore, rumors have already emerged thatthe Rockets may pursue additional frontcourt players through trades or the buyout market to compensate for Adams’ absence.

It is important to note that the deadline for applying for the season-ending injury player exception was January 16, so the Rockets cannot apply for this exception for Adams. However, the team already holds a $12.5 million injury exception from when Fred VanVleet suffered an ACL tear. But due to the team’s salary nearing the luxury tax threshold, the practical use of this exception is quite limited.

Adams is under contract with the Rockets for two more years after this season, earning $13 million next season and approximately $11.9 million in the 2027-28 season.