Could Houston Rockets Draft Steven Adams Replacement?

If veteran center Steven Adams heads to another team, Houston may need to draft his replacement.

Mar 6, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets will be entering free agency this summer with one big priority, and that is re-signing veteran center Steven Adams. However, that might not be as easy as it sounds.

The 31-year-old center is set to be one of the most sought after center's in the offseason with teams like the Los Angeles Lakers prepared to make a bid at the unrestricted free agent, and if a team entices the New Zealand center to depart from Houston this will leave the Rockets with a gaping hole in their roster next season.

Adams provides rim protection and a physical presence that is hard to come by these days in big men, which is a huge reason the veteran is so coveted during this free agency.

On a recent episode of the Locked on Rockets podcast, host Jackson Gatlin also spoke on the potential departure of Steven Adams and who his replacement could potentially be.

"There's a concern that the Rockets would get priced out of Steven Adams, so much so that the Rockets are considering and heavily looking at both Derik Queen and Khaman Maluach" said Gatlin.

Apr 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) dunks the ball as Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) defends during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Now the front office can certainly take care of this in free agency as well this summer, but with two prospects in this year's NBA Draft on Houston's radar, there is a chance the Rockets decide to draft Steven Adams' replacement rather than fish around the market.

With the NBA Draft set to take place in under two weeks, here are the two prospects that could potentially be added to the center room by the Houston Rockets:

Khaman Maluach (Duke Blue Devils)

Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) dunks the ball during the second half against the Baylor Bears in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Duke big man Khaman Maluach has been on Houston's radar for quite some time now, as the center is jotted down to be a for-sure lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft. This selection would make the most sense as Maluach has a similar defensive skillset to Adams in terms of being a paint protector and big-time shot blocker. His offensive game still needs a bit more development, but the pieces around him in Houston can certainly make up for that if selected. The Rockets will likely have to select Maluach at pick No. 10 if he is available, as a trade down will certainly not do Houston any good if they want to land the former Blue Devil.

Derik Queen (Maryland Terrapins)

Feb 9, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins center Derik Queen (25) looks on during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Derik Queen from the Maryland Terrapins is a new additon to the Rockets radar heading into the NBA Draft. Coming off a solid freshman year for the Terps, he was one of their main offensive scorers as well as an excellent rim protector at 6-foot-10. His bread and butter is his post work inside the paint, offering Houston another scoring option as well as a solid big man down low. Queen has recently seen his name rise up draft boards, which could prompt Houston to pull the trigger at pick No. 10 if available.