After spending 21 seasons as an assistant, Stephen Silas finally got his chance to be an NBA head coach with the Houston Rockets in 2020. He would remain in this role for the next three seasons, yet after leading the Rockets to three consecutive losing seasons with a 59-177 record, Houston intends to move on from the respected coach.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets are declining Silas’ fourth-year team option on his contract. Silas and team general manager Rafael Stone have a meeting set for Monday, where the two are expected to officially part ways.
With the Rockets once again finishing near the bottom of the league, with the NBA’s third-worst record, they are set to add another top rookie in the 2023 NBA Draft, and are sure to be an attractive landing spot for potential coaching candidates, some of which are already being linked to Houston.
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Houston Rockets’ next coach candidates emerge
Woj’s sources indicate some of the top coaching candidates expected to draw interest from the Houston Rockets include former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, and former Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel, among others. Another name to potentially keep an eye on, per Wojnarowski, is Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, should he become available.
As is, the Rockets have several young pieces who could develop into stars. This includes streaky shooting guard Jalen Green, the blooming Alperen Sengun, the young and inconsistent Jabari Smith Jr, and fellow rookie Tari Eason, who provides a spark on both ends of the floor.
This is all in addition to a likely top-five pick this summer. In essence, there are plenty of reasons for optimism and a potential quick turnaround in Houston. It just won’t be Silas reaping the benefits after being stuck with a very young, and inexperienced roster each of the past three years. He’s expected to land on his feet in a top assistant role elsewhere.
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