Adams' season-ending surgery cripples the Rockets' paint defense and rebounding. Their playoff hopes now hinge on others stepping into his crucial, gritty role.
BREAKING: Houston Rockets center Steven Adams has undergone season-ending surgery on his left ankle, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania- a development that officially closes his 2025-26 campaign.
Adams sprained that same ankle during Houston’s Jan. 18 win over the Pelicans, landing awkwardly while contesting a shot and immediately grabbing at it on the way down. At the time, a Grade 3 sprain kept him out indefinitely- now, surgery confirms there’s no return window this season.
For a roster already navigating the absence of Fred VanVleet, this changes the texture of Houston’s coming months more than most will admit. Adams was never a box-score centerpiece. His value lived in the dirty work: rebounding bloodlines, physical screens, paint deterrence, and possession control. That’s why losing him is losing a structural piece of how Houston managed rotation defense and rebounding balance.
Alperen Şengün remains the anchor, and the lineup has already leaned on him for more minutes and responsibility. But without Adams, the Rockets will need others to absorb the physical and gritty elements he provided- particularly on defensive boards and in paint protection.
Clint Capela, Amen Thompson, and even Jabari Smith Jr. will see adjustments in how they’re deployed, whether in small-ball coverage, rim protection rotations, or switching assignments.
This also means Houston’s margin for error shrinks. What the Rockets gained at times last month was discipline and composure; what they now clearly lack is a safety net of instinctive physicality down low. The playoffs loom, and while this team’s ceiling remains high, its floor just got a bit more demanding.