4 for 1! Deal Done! Congratulations to the Rockets for getting the strongest player in the NBA
On February 2, Beijing time, another deal was reached: according to ESPN, the Rockets sent Oladipo + 3 second-round picks, and a 4-for-1 trade to get Grizzlies center Adams. Adams and Oladipo haven't played in the regular season this season, and both are out for the season. Oladipo is on expiring contract, and Adams has one year left on his contract.
In 2012, the Rockets sent a 2013 first-round pick to the Thunder in order to get Harden, and the Thunder used the No. 12 pick to draft Adams. Now that Adams is back in the Rockets, it's closed! When Adams recovers next season, his rebounds and covers will definitely help the young Rockets.
Oladipo is in the same class as Adams, with the former being the 2013 Showman. In the most recent season, Oladipo changed teams: in July 2023, the Heat sent Oladipo to the Thunder for a trade exception and some cash, and in October 2023, the Thunder sent Oladipo to the Rockets for Porter Jr. + 2 second-rounders.
What happened to Oladipo? On April 23, 2023, the first round of the playoffs Heat vs Bucks. The game had gone into garbage time, and he slipped and fell to the floor as he broke through for a layup. The teammates also knew the seriousness and covered their faces and didn't dare to look at it. The next day, the Heat officially announced: Oladipo suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee and was out for the season.
In the 2022-23 regular season, Oladipo played in 42 games, averaging 10.7 points, 3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 39.7%, 33% and 74.7% from three. He played in two playoff games, averaging 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal per game, shooting 52.6%, 40% and 33.3% from three. His contract is two years, $18.2 million, which expires this summer.
Oladipo's nickname is "Bitter Mamba" because he trains hard. But in recent years, he has been suffering from successive injuries. In the last six seasons, Oladipo has played a total of 138 games, an average of 23 games per year. In the 2017-18 season, Oladipo was the league's steal leader and the most improved player, and in just six years, things are different.
Oladipo was born on May 4, 1992, and is about to turn 32 years old, and his next contract is likely to be a base salary. Adams was born on July 20, 1993, one year younger than Oladipo. In the preseason this season, Adams played two games, averaging 4.5 points and 5 rebounds per game. On November 9, 2023, he underwent cruciate ligament surgery.
The Grizzlies also don't want to send Adams away, but he can't play this season, and he will have a salary of $12.6 million next season. While Adams still has trade value, the Grizzlies traded for two second-round picks in 2024 and one second-round pick in 2025, and they also saved money. Adams played in 42 games last season, averaging 8.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Adams' injury dates back to January 2023 when he suffered a strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. In March 2023, Adams received stem cell injections without surgery. He opted for conservative treatment, which led to an aggravated cruciate ligament injury that left him with surgery this season. Adams is expected to make a full recovery this offseason.
There was a previous survey of NBA players: Who do you least want to fight with? James Johnson is number one and Adams is number two. In an interview, he admitted that Adams is the strongest player in the NBA today: "He's full of muscles, just like Aquaman!"
Final question: Who do you think made the deal between the Rockets and the Grizzlies?