Steven Adams Rumors: Atlanta Hawks a possible trade destination for Oklahoma City Thunder's star center
What's the rumor?
Following a third consecutive first-round playoff exit back in April, the Oklahoma City Thunder made the tough decision to trade its All-Star pairing of Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The exit of Westbrook and George signaled a first-rebuild since the organization moved to Oklahoma City, and Billy Donovan's team has made a disappointing 0-2 start to the new season.
Over the coming months, more senior players are expected to be traded, and Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley believes Steven Adams could be a trade target for the Atlanta Hawks:
Since the Oklahoma City Thunder are going nowhere fast, the $53.4 million owed to Adams over the next two seasons looks out of place on the payroll. Atlanta, though, has the expiring salaries to facilitate an exchange and the flexibility to take on a hefty contract, since virtually all of its best players are making rookie-scale wages.
In case you didn't know...
The Thunder selected Adams with the 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft and the center has been a regular starter since the 2014-15 season. Adams has already racked up more than 450 regular-season appearances for the Thunder, and the Kiwi averaged a career-high of 13.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during the 18-19 campaign.
The heart of the matter
Adams is among the remaining high earners on the Thunder roster, and the center would be a fine addition to several teams around the league that are currently lacking a reliable big. Still just 26, Adams is also young enough to play a future role in Oklahoma City, although it appears that he will be among the players that will attract the most interest from rival teams.
This makes a trade likely ahead of the trade deadline, although the Hawks could face competition from the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs.
What's next?
Steven Adams and the Thunder will be hoping to pick up their first win of the season as they host the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.