The Houston Rockets are likely to have a new head coach next season, and one league insider believes that choice may be one that has links to summer NBA free agent target James Harden.
The Houston Rockets have been a disaster this season. Despite the promise of young star Jalen Green and a top-three pick from the recent NBA Draft on the roster, the team has been one of the worst in the league this season. If not for the ineptitude of the Detroit Pistons, Houston would be getting the most ping-pong balls at this year’s draft lottery.
Related: NBA games today – Get watch times for the final NBA games of the season
Unsurprisingly, after three losing seasons Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Friday that there is an organizational “goal of taking significant strides toward postseason contention next season.” Heading into the offseason, the Houston Rockets will be armed with over $61 million in cap space and at least a top-five selection in the 2023 NBA Draft. So getting back to the playoffs is certainly possible.
It has been rumored for months that team is very interested in a reunion with James Harden. The man that returned them to prominence and made Houston a perennial playoff team for nine seasons before finding his way out two years ago. And the feeling is allegedly mutual.
Houston Rockets record (’22-’23): 20-60
In Fischer’s report, he confirmed their top target in the summer is still Harden, but before then they are expected to be looking for a new head coach after they let Stephen Silas’ contract run out at the end of the season.
On the coaching candidates front, Fischer revealed that a few of the talents they have in mind for head coach and assistants — including Raptors head coach Nick Nurse — oddly enough have links to Harden.
“Several potential coaching candidates — in addition to Nurse — whom league personnel has connected to the Rockets have a shared history with Harden. Scott Brooks, currently an assistant with Portland, coached the Oklahoma City Thunder before Harden was dealt to the Rockets in 2012. Rex Kalamian, a current Pistons assistant coach, has also been mentioned by multiple NBA figures as a possible Houston coaching addition, perhaps as an assistant coach, with respect to his relationship with Harden since serving on Brooks’ OKC staff.”
– Jake Fischer
It is interesting that of all the possible coach options, such as disgraced Celtics coach Ime Udoka and former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, the men with major connections to a top free agent target are strong candidates for the Houston Rockets job.
James Harden is expected to opt out of the second year of his deal with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, and coaches he is more familiar with could certainly aid in his decision to return to the Rockets next season.