Kiwi Steven Adams will reportedly take a paycut, but have his NBA contract extended another two years with New Orleans Pelicans.
After seven years at Oklahoma City Thunder, the seven-foot (2.13m) centre seems headed from to the Pelicans in a convoluted trade that would see him team up with future superstar Zion Williamson on a championship-contending team.
Adams has one year left on his current four-year, US$100m (NZ$143m) contract with the Thunder, but ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reports his new team has already signed him to a two-year US$35m (NZ$50m) that will see him through to the end of 2023.
Under those conditions, his average salary will drop from US$25m to US$17.5m.
New Orleans have not formally confirmed the deal, but fans across the NBA and New Zealand have already resigned themselves to an imminent announcement.
Adams' contract situation was accurately forecast to Newshub by SB Nation columnist Oleh Kosel on Monday.
"Centres nowadays are very much not in vogue in the NBA," explained Kosel. "It's small ball - everybody's talking about three-point shooting.
"He's making about $27m this year, but I'm guessing he would have to take a slight paycut - maybe a 2-3 year contract, paying about $20m a year. That sounds like a reasonably median right there."
But Kosel insisted the Kiwi hardman had been on the Pelicans' radar since new general manager David Griffin took the job last year and was the ideal veteran presence to help Williamson fulfill his unquestioned potential.
"As soon as Griffin took the job, he said he wanted to establish a really good culture. He's still looking for that.
"From everything we know about Steven Adams, he's one of the top most loyal, hardest working... and kind of positive adjective, it applies to Adams.
"I think it's going to be a match made in heaven."
