What the Steven Adams extension means for the Suns and the center market

The Phoenix Suns are going to have limited options in the open market to add a center.

Steven Adams signed a 3-year extension with the Houston Rockets, taking him off the free market before the offseason even officially begins.

Shams added: “Adams played 58 games after missing the 2023-24 season, and averaged 22.1 minutes in the playoffs in a critical role for a team that was +44 with him on the floor versus -44 without. Adams led the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage this season as well, per ESPN Research.”

Desmond Bane was also moved in a blockbuster today, so the NBA offseason is already swinging as the Finals wind down. These pair of moves do not directly impact the Suns, but it’s important to note what’s going on around the league for pricing, value, etc., etc.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about “9 Bigs the Suns could target”, and Steven Adams was at the top of that list. In fact, he finished first in the fan poll of those potential options.

Removing Adams from the group really dampens what was already quite an uninspiring group of big men.

Along with a name being off the market, it sets a price tag for a center of Adams’ caliber. A 3-year, $39 million price tag comes in at $13 million a season. It seems fair when you consider the rest of the market and how barren it looks. Houston locking him up was a no-brainer.

Phoenix’s Outlook

Phoenix still has Nick Richards under contract for next season, along with their young big man Oso Ighodaro. That said, they certainly need to add another center and power forward with all of the uncertainty in the rotation. These pieces are important not just for checking off depth on the rotation chart, but for making an impact and creating an identity.

Once the Kevin Durant trade dust settles, we’ll have a better idea of how those bigs could be acquired. Whether it’s in that trade itself or from an extra pick included in the deal, the Suns’ plan will likely pivot based on that return.

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Free agency may not be where the Suns fill that void. The trade market or draft feels like a more likely solution, but again, it’s largely dependent on what the return from the KD trade looks like. There are some interesting trade fits I like, but the focus of this will be on the open market.

Here is the full scope of options that I listed in that previous article, excluding trade possibilities:

FA Options:

• Clint Capela
• Bobby Portis
• Luke Kornet
• Thomas Bryant
• Jake LaRavia
• Chris Boucher
• Charles Bassey
• Sandro Mamukelashvili

Below you will find the poll results of that group from my piece. With Adams gone, well… you see the drop off as he was your heavy favorite.

NBA Draft Options:

Note: using the bigs throughout the first, not just tailored to where PHX is picking now

• Khaman Lamuach
• Derik Queen
• Collin Murray-Boyles
• Asa Newell
• Thomas Sorber
• Rasheer Fleming
• Danny Wolf
• Joan Beringer
• Ryan Kalkbrenner
• Johni Broome
• Maxime Raynaud

There is a chance that this article becomes somewhat irrelevant the second a Durant deal is done, but for now, the Suns need to be thinking about how they will address the frontcourt.

They have limited resources and limited options on the surface, so it’s time for Brian Gregory to get creative.

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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