Houston gets Adams back for preseason preparations
Steven Adams has been fully cleared after left ankle surgery as the Houston Rockets prepare for the 2026–27 season, coach Ime Udoka said on Tuesday, September 29. RotoWire relayed the update from Houston Chronicle reporter Varun Shankar.
The clearance follows a lengthy absence. Adams suffered a severe ankle sprain in January, underwent surgery and missed the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign. He had been limited in the lead-up to training camp.
Udoka expects the center to appear during the preseason, according to reporting by Roundtable Sports Houston. The Rockets still intend to handle his workload cautiously early in the regular season, so medical clearance should not be read as a promise of unrestricted minutes or participation in every game.
For Houston, the immediate development is that Adams can move beyond rehabilitation and take part in the team’s preparations. Practice availability gives the coaching staff a chance to work him back into its frontcourt combinations before competitive games resume.
His playing schedule and workload remain the details to watch. The latest update establishes that he has been cleared; it does not set a specific preseason appearance or announce a nightly minutes target.