Basketball: Steven Adams traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in an NBA move

The Steven Adams trade in the NBA is a done deal.

After seven seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Kiwi star would have been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Respected NBA reporter Shams Charania first reported that the Thunder were in talks to send Adams to the Pelicans, before ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added that Adams will be part of the Jrue Holiday deal that was originally reported, that saw the Milwaukee Bucks take the lead. -guard profile in exchange for various draft picks from the Pelicans.

Charania has since tweeted that the exchange is complete.

Adams has spent his entire NBA career with the Thunder since he was drafted in 2013, playing 530 in the regular season and 59 playoff games, but with the Thunder rebuilding their roster for the future with an emphasis on collecting draft picks, Adams and its 27.5 dollars. million contract for the upcoming 2020-21 season – they become less valuable.

Adams, 27, has one year remaining on his initial four-year contract before becoming a free agent at the end of the 2020-21 season.

The Pelicans have the required cap space to put Adams’ sizable contract on their books for next season and he will likely team up with rising sensation and No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, Zion Williamson, on the front court. Pelicans initial.

Adams’ departure from Oklahoma City will see him come out 10th all-time in games played for the franchise, second in offensive rebounds, seventh in total rebounds, fifth in blocks and first in field goal percentage.

New Orleans has had a New Zealand influence on its team before, with Sean Marks playing 79 games over two seasons from 2008 to 2010, when the franchise was known as the New Orleans Hornets. New Zealand Breakers guard Corey Webster also spent preseason with the team in 2015.