Henare, talking to Radio Sport this morning, said he did not "waste too much brain power on it" but suggested Adams had told him in a "roundabout way" he would like to play for New Zealand.
Adams, a seven-foot centre with the Oklahoma City Thunder, has yet to pull on the Tall Blacks' singlet. Having yesterday signed a $140 million contract extension, he has overcome one of the main obstacles to turning out for New Zealand - getting through, and impressing during, his rookie contract period.
Henare said it may be a challenge to get Adams to play in 2017, as New Zealand moves into FIBA Asia, which has its tournament later in the year and may clash with NBA preseason. However Basketball New Zealand CEO Iain Potter said it would settle for having Adams available for the World Cup.
Despite Adams' absence there is plenty of other young talent coming through the ranks which bodes well for the Tall Blacks over the next decade.
