The Atlanta Hawks are seemingly keen on finding an upgrade to their frontcourt, with both starting and backup options a source of speculation. Well, the Hawks can cross Steven Adams off the list, that is, if he was on theirs, and it could be a sign of what is to come this summer.
Adams agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract extension to remain with the Houston Rockets, per ESPN’s Shams Charania on June 14.
“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,” Charania said in a follow-up post, quoting his report. “Adams led the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage this season as well, per ESPN Research.”
That importance to the Rockets is exactly why Adams seemed like an ideal long shot.
“He was a crucial part of the zone defense that flummoxed the Warriors at times in their first-round series,” Charania wrote in his full report. “Adams is a prolific offensive rebounder who led the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage.”
The Rockets led the NBA on the offensive glass during the 2024-25 regular season. The Hawks ranked ninth, but with Clint Capela’s anticipated exit, Adams would have been a fine target.
Atlanta’s other options are not much more certain to reach free agency than Adams was.
Steven Adams extension could be bad sign for Hawks
Brook Lopez and Myler Turner could both re-up with the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers, respectively. Meanwhile, Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year, could shake up the market by declining his player option.
Other veteran options include a retread in Al Horford as the Boston Celtics face significant roster uncertainty this offseason, and former Golden State Warriors starter Kevon Looney.
Of course, the prospect path is also on the Hawks’ radar.
“Various sources have indicated that they do believe the Hawks will fall right in line with Oklahoma City, Orlando and Brooklyn as teams with multiple picks in the mid-to-late first round exploring various avenues to move up the draft board,” Fischer wrote on June 12.
“Rival teams have projected the Hawks as targeting big men with whatever draft slots they ultimately operate from. After years of dangling Clint Capela on the trade block, Capela is finally expected to depart Atlanta via free agency this season, sources say. So the Hawks appear poised to have an opening for a center.”
The Hawks currently hold picks Nos. 13 and 22 in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, providing even more intrigue amid the pre-existing intrigue around the roster.
Now that they (again, seemingly) have their front office settled, the draft is the priority.
If the Hawks can address their two most glaring needs – center and backup point guard – their foray into the free agency (and more pertinently, trade) window will be even more intriguing. A strong offseason could put the Hawks right back into the thick of the Eastern Conference’s list of contenders.