Steven Adams is about to become the NBA’s next mega-millionaire, according to a breaking report by the esteemed Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Oklahoma City and center Steven Adams making significant progress on a 4-year, $100M contract extension, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 31, 2016
That Adams is a valuable player for the Oklahoma City Thunder is an unquestionable fact.
He does serious work in the post on both ends of the court, averaging eight points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks last year. His overall game was upped in a major way during the team’s playoff run this past spring and his stats are up across the board this season.
That said, if the Thunder do shell out this type of cash for Adams, then it will limit what the franchise is able to do next year in free agency.
But perhaps this is just a signal that Adams is viewed as a comparable piece to a guy like Blake Griffin, who’ll be a free agent next year. It’s not likely they could have both at the max. So it seems instead of viewing the Aussie as a complementary piece, he’s being valued as a centerpiece.
At the age of just 23, it’s clear we’re just starting to see what kind of havoc Adams can wreak in the NBA.
Given the fact that Russell Westbrook has become a do-it-all offensive star without having to cater to Kevin Durant, it seems smart to build around him, Victor Oladipo and Adams, rather than bringing in another big star.
Plus, you just can’t put a price tag on his wonderful mustache, or the fact that he tends to get under the skin of some of the league’s best.