When Steven Adams re-signed with the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers lost on multiple levels. The most obvious manner in which Los Angeles endured defeat was in its inability to sign Adams themselves.
In addition to missing out on the perfect backup center, the Lakers learned what it will take to sign an ideal replacement—and the cost is far from friendly.
Adams signed a relatively surprising three-year, $39 million contract extension to remain with the Rockets. That’s a hefty sum for a player who averaged just 13.7 minutes per game during the 2024-25 regular season, but his postseason play more than justified the investment.
Adams averaged 22.1 minutes per game during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, anchoring two-big sets with Alperen Sengun that helped the Rockets push the Golden State Warriors to seven games.
Adding a powerhouse who could’ve dominated the glass and set the tone defensively would’ve been a massive gain for the Lakers. Unfortunately, Los Angeles must now go back to the drawing board with the market for a high-level backup set at a significant cost.
The Lakers should be able to afford the price of doing business, but if $13 million per season is the expected range, finding the ideal backup will still be easier said than done.
Steven Adams may have just set the market at $13 million per season
Los Angeles will be looking to acquire a new starting center who will likely make well above the price point of $13 million per year. The expected path to such a decision is for a trade to be made, which would certainly create financial flexibility with how many trade-friendly contracts the Lakers can ship out.
The need for depth is undeniable, however, for a team that’s on pace to rely on G League and minimum-salary centers for a second consecutive season.
If Adams making an average of $13 million per season is a sign of things to come, then Los Angeles might need to pay the same to avoid the aforementioned disaster. Options certainly exist who could be worth the money, but it would be an unavoidably large investment.
Veterans such as Clint Capela and Brook Lopez are likely to ask for salaries in the same range as what Adams received, and it’s fair to question if the Lakers can justify following that path.
Capela would certainly address the team’s need for improvement in the areas of rebounding and rim protection. Lopez, meanwhile, is a proven shot-blocker and floor-spacer who has a championship to his name in a starting role.
The hurdle in signing either of them is now a balance of the annual salary Adams received and the number of seasons he was signed for.
Perhaps a 37-year-old Lopez wouldn’t sign a three-year deal, but a 31-year-old Capela should have suitors in that range. Those two aren’t necessarily the only options to consider, but they’re examples of the high-end players who could fit the Lakers’ needs and system—and the cost such a pursuit could incur.
Perhaps Rob Pelinka will find a way to work around this issue, but the immediate future in Los Angeles is bleak after not only failing to sign Adams, but learning at what point the market has been set.
