With Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs wrapped up and the Houston Rockets’ season ending, now is the perfect time to talk about Steven Adams and what he could bring to the Atlanta Hawks. The 31-year-old center had a quietly successful season with the Rockets, coming off a knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2023–2024 season.
Adams’ numbers won’t jump out at you—this season he averaged 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in just over 13 minutes a night, and in the playoffs, across the entire seven-game series, he averaged 5.6 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Steven Adams should stand out to Hawks' front office
But what should stand out to the Hawks’ front office is his versatility—Adams can play effectively alongside just about anyone. During the playoffs, he was part of the two highest net-rating two-man lineups on the team: the duo of him and All-Star big Alperen Şengün posted a 20.6 net rating in 99 minutes together, and with Jabari Smith Jr., they recorded the same 20.6 mark in 93 minutes. Adams did a great job coexisting with Houston’s bigs—so who's to say he wouldn’t do the same with Onyeka Okongwu?
The Hawks’ rising big, Okongwu, has shown flashes of brilliance but still lacks some of the physicality and screen-setting prowess required of a traditional center. Adams could fill that void instantly. Whether starting or coming off the bench, he brings a bruising inside presence, elite screening, and a no-nonsense rebounding edge that this team has sorely lacked. At 6'11", he offers true center size and the kind of hard-nosed defense that could give Atlanta’s young core the toughness it needs.
Hawks' pick-&-roll pairing has been missing for years
The most important and biggest reason Adams should be Atlanta’s top target is how perfectly he fits alongside Trae Young. Pairing the best screen-setter in the NBA with one of the league’s best passers sounds like a match made in basketball heaven. Adams has the ability to set sharp, physical screens that not only free up the roll man, but also create clean scoring angles for the ball handler.
With Trae’s elite vision and touch and Adams’ knack for carving space, this duo could wreak havoc on opposing defenses in the pick-and-roll.
While Adams’ market is uncertain, Atlanta is expected to have up to $14.1 million available through the non-taxpayer mid-level exception—meaning they could make a serious financial commitment to bring the New Zealand big man to ATL. Compared to other available options like an aging Brook Lopez, who just turned 37, or running it back with Clint Capela, whose time in Atlanta feels like it has run its course, Adams stands out as the clear best choice and perfect fit with this Hawks roster.