After moving on from Stephen Silas following a three-year tenure, the Houston Rockets’ head coaching search is over just as quickly as it began. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Ime Udoka has agreed to become the next head coach of the Rockets.
The terms of the deal are unclear, but Woj makes it sound like both parties were interested in an agreement from the start of the offseason. While Udoka surely had other suitors, with the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors also looking for a new head coach, the opportunity to coach a growing group of talent that could soon add plenty more via the draft and free agency was too good to pass up.
Now Udoka will be tasked with getting the most out of a very young roster that includes several lottery picks from recent seasons and the chance to add another, possibly even the No. 1 pick, later this summer.
- Ime Udoka’s NBA coaching record: 51-31, NBA Finals appearance with Boston Celtics in 2022
For now, we know Udoka starts with a core headlined by Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun, to go with several other complementary pieces. While we saw flashes of talent from this Rockets roster under coach Silas, the expectations for Udoka will be much greater.
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