Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Tyronn Lue’s Head Coaching Interviews

October 6th, 2020 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Tyronn Lue has met with the Pelicans and Clippers about their respective head coaching openings, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), who reports that Lue’s interview with the Rockets will take place at some point this week.

Previously, a report stated that Lue was meeting with those teams on three consecutive days from Friday to Sunday. However, Stein explains that the Houston meeting – initially scheduled for Sunday – has been pushed back a little.

Lue has been linked to five head coaching vacancies already this year. Although the Sixers and Nets ultimately went in different directions, he remains a viable candidate for a few of the remaining open jobs.

Having spent the 2019/20 season as a Clippers assistant, Lue was considered one of the early frontrunners to replace Doc Rivers in L.A., and his history with Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin makes him a strong contender in New Orleans as well.

Lue doesn’t have an obvious connection to Houston — he played for the Rockets in 2004 but that was two years before current head of basketball operations Daryl Morey joined the organization. Still, his championship pedigree and his experience coaching a superstar like LeBron James has made him an intriguing candidate for any team with title aspirations.

John Lucas Emerging As Coaching Candidate For Rockets

October 5th, 2020 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran coach John Lucas is an emerging candidate in the Rockets‘ search for a new head coach, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

As Stein notes (via Twitter), Lucas has spent the last four seasons working as a player development coach on Mike D’Antoni‘s staff in Houston, and has developed strong relationships with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

A former first overall pick as an NBA player, Lucas transitioned to coaching in the early 1990s and has spent time as a head coach for the Spurs, Sixers, and Cavaliers. The 66-year-old was also an assistant for the Nuggets and Clippers before eventually joining the Rockets in 2016.

According to reports in August, Lucas was among the coaches who made a strong impression on players with his comments during the meeting in the Orlando bubble as they weighed whether or not to resume the season following their boycott.

Houston is taking its time as it seeks a replacement for D’Antoni, having reportedly met with Tyronn Lue on Sunday. Former NBA head coaches Jeff Van Gundy and Kenny Atkinson have also been linked to the job, as have current assistants like Sam Cassell, David Vanterpool, and Chris Finch.

Lue To Meet With Clippers On Saturday, Rockets On Sunday

October 2nd, 2020 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

It will be a busy weekend for coaching candidate Tyronn Lue, who has three meetings lined up in a three-day span with teams seeking new head coaches. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Lue is scheduled to talk to the Pelicans on Friday, Clippers on Saturday, and Rockets on Sunday.

A report earlier this week from The Philadelphia Inquirer indicated that – after interviewing with the Sixers on Tuesday – Lue was set to talk to New Orleans on Friday and Houston next week. Multiple reports have since confirmed that he’s a prime candidate to be promoted in Los Angeles. However, Haynes’ report is the first time we’ve learned specific dates for Lue’s initial meetings with the Clippers and Rockets.

While this series of interviews is a reminder that Lue is drawing real interest from multiple teams, it remains to be seen whether he’ll be the first choice for one or more of those clubs. And it’s unclear which team would be his first choice if he receives more than one offer.

Having spent the 2019/20 season as an assistant under Doc Rivers, Lue is most familiar with the Clippers and is believed to be an early frontrunner for that position. But he’s certainly not a shoo-in for the job, as L.A. is expected to conduct a full-fledged search.

Lue’s connection with Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin – the duo worked together in Cleveland – could help give him a leg up for that job. However, New Orleans is reportedly expected to bring in at least two or three finalists before making a decision.

David Vanterpool Interviewing With Rockets

October 2nd, 2020 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool will be among the candidates interviewing for the Rockets‘ head coaching job, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Vanterpool is also believed to be a candidate for Indiana and Oklahoma City, and was considered by Chicago before the club hired Billy Donovan.
Confirming a previous report from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that Tyronn Lue has meetings lined up with the Pelicans and Rockets. Lue is also a leading candidate for the Clippers‘ job, and Woj notes that L.A. is expected to begin meeting with candidates soon.

Rockets Receive Permission To Interview Unseld Jr., Silas

September 30th, 2020 at 6:37pm CST by Jovan Alford

With Mike D’Antoni not returning next season, the Rockets are beginning their search for a new head coach, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that Houston has received permission to interview Nuggets assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. and Mavericks assistant coach Stephen Silas. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle initially reported the Rockets’ interest in both assistant coaches, along with five other head coaching candidates.

Tyronn Lue Interviews For Sixers’ Coaching Job

September 30th, 2020 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Tyronn Lue‘s interview with the Sixers took place as scheduled on Tuesday, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reports that the Clippers assistant also toured the club’s practice facility in Camden, New Jersey as part of the meeting.

Lue met with Sixers co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, as well as general manager Elton Brand, Pompey adds.

Last week, Pompey reported that the 76ers’ coaching search appeared to be down to two candidates: Lue and Mike D’Antoni. The belief is that team ownership prefers D’Antoni, but Lue remains in the running and is interested in the job. If he’s going to land it though, he may have to beat out not just D’Antoni but a new contender — Pompey confirms that Philadelphia has reached out to Doc Rivers‘ representatives following his exit from the Clippers.

It remains to be seen how serious the Sixers are about Rivers, or vice versa. Rivers appears to be happy living in Southern California, according to Pompey, who speculates that the uncertainty surrounding the 2020/21 schedule may increase the odds that the former Clippers coach sits out the season. Rivers’ contract with L.A. still had two years left on it, so he’ll be comfortable financially for a while.

Before Rivers and the Clippers parted ways, sources told Pompey that the Sixers would prefer to name a coach this week.

If the Sixers don’t act soon on Lue, he’ll have plenty of other options to explore. Sources tell Pompey that the Pelicans are expected to have an informal meeting with Lue on Friday and that he’s scheduled to interview with the Rockets next week. He’s also believed to be a candidate to replace Rivers in Los Angeles.

Rockets Notes: Butler, Coaching Search, Lue, JVG, Cassell

September 29th, 2020 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

Before he committed to the Heat during last year’s free agency period, Jimmy Butler was a prime target for the Rockets, who attempted to go all-in for him on two separate occasions, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle details.

Houston’s first run at Butler came during the 2018/19 league year, when he was being shopped by the Timberwolves. At the time, the Rockets were willing to offer a package that included four first-round picks, but Minnesota ultimately preferred a Philadelphia offer headlined by two affordable veterans who were ready to contribute immediately (Robert Covington and Dario Saric).

Still convinced that Butler could be the player that helped push the team over the top, Rockets GM Daryl Morey was prepared to renew his push for him during 2019’s free agent period. According to Feigen, the club was lining up trades to move Clint Capela and Eric Gordon in order to create the cap flexibility necessary to land Butler. However, despite the fact that he’s from the Houston area and is close with James Harden, Butler decided early in free agency that he wanted to head to Miami, closing the door on the Rockets’ pursuit.

Here’s more on the Rockets, with a focus on their head coaching search:

While the Rockets have interest in Doc Rivers, they’re also preparing to schedule meetings with several other candidates for their head coaching job. According to Feigen, Houston had planned to begin scheduling those interviews by this Wednesday and Thursday, and the club’s list of candidates is expected to include Tyronn Lue, Jeff Van Gundy, Kenny Atkinson, Wes Unseld Jr., Stephen Silas, and perhaps Sam Cassell.
Lue and Van Gundy were the first two candidates identified as possibilities for the Clippers, but it sounds like both coaches are high on Houston’s list as well. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter links), Morey wanted to hire Van Gundy in 2016 and owner Tilman Fertitta is believed to be a JVG fan, while Lue has also “received support” for the Rockets’ job.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic explores whether Lue or Cassell would be good fits as the Rockets’ head coach, expressing a belief that Cassell may actually check a lot of the boxes on Houston’s list.

More On Clippers-Doc Rivers Breakup

September 28th, 2020 at 8:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers’ decision to part ways with Doc Rivers could be the riskiest coaching change in NBA history, Kevin Pelton of ESPN opines. The team is rolling the dice with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George potentially opting out and becoming unrestricted free agents after next season. L.A.’s collapse against the Nuggets can be attributed to poor shooting, Pelton adds, as the Clippers took higher percentage shots than the Nuggets but made substantially fewer of them.

We have more on Rivers and the Clippers:

The Clippers’ front office concluded that issues that had cropped up during the season surfaced under the stress of the playoffs, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports. That led to the assessment that Rivers had to be held accountable for the team’s collapse.
By severing ties with Rivers, the Clippers indeed are blaming him for their playoff flop, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated opines. Could Phil Jackson be the answer? Jackson is 75 but he’s had time to recharge his batteries and this wouldn’t be a long-term job anyway, Mannix notes.
Tyronn Lue and Jeff Van Gundy are reportedly two of the former head coaches the Clippers will consider. Dan Loumena of the Los Angeles Times speculates that the Clippers might also consider assistant coach Sam Cassell, Chauncey Billups, Mark Jackson, Stan Van Gundy, Mike D’Antoni, Nate McMillan, Kenny Atkinson, Alvin Gentry, Jason Kidd and Becky Hammon.
Lue is the 3-2 favorite to get the job, according to Bet Online, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. Van Gundy is the second choice at 3-1 with Billups surprisingly listed as the third choice at 4-1.
Add the Rockets to the list of teams interested in Rivers, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The Pelicans and 76ers have already made contact.

Rockets Notes: House, Westbrook, Paul, Gordon

September 26th, 2020 at 5:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Danuel House‘s future in Houston should be considered “up in the air” in the wake of his dismissal from the Disney World campus, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. House reportedly apologized to the team before leaving Orlando for having an unauthorized guest in his room, but Iko believes he has lost the trust of his teammates. Former coach Mike D’Antoni was a strong supporter of House, but he’s no longer around to advocate for the young forward.

Working in House’s favor are a team-friendly contract that pays him roughly $3.7MM next season and nearly $3.9MM in 2021/22, along with the marked improvement he showed after the hiatus ended. House played a larger role in the offense during the Orlando restart, increasing his scoring average from 10.2 to 13.8 PPG without sacrificing efficiency.

Iko cites rumors around the league that House might have been in line for a much larger contract once his current deal expires. He talks to an Eastern Conference scout who said his team was watching House closely before he re-signed with the Rockets, but Iko wonders if the Disney World incident will steer teams away from committing big money to House.

There’s more from Houston:

Although this season didn’t turn out the way they hoped, the Rockets don’t regret picking up Russell Westbrook in exchange for Chris Paul and a package of draft picks, Iko adds in the same piece. Houston was concerned that Paul wouldn’t hold up physically as he got older, and management jumped at the chance to acquire a former MVP. Iko notes that the team may eventually wish it had some of those picks back, put the focus is on being a title contender for the next three years.
Houston won’t try to trade either House or Eric Gordon this offseason, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Feigen writes that general manager Daryl Morey doesn’t operate based on emotion, and the franchise still views House as a good value at a position where the roster is thin. Gordon had a disappointing season after agreeing to a four-year extension, but Feigen says the Rockets would be selling low if they try to move him now.
Katie Heindl of Basketball News believes Houston should “double down” on its investment in Westbrook rather than trying to unload his contract. She notes that most teams will be conservative this offseason because of the loss in revenue and adds that a new coach can change the way Westbrook and James Harden are used to maximize opportunities for both of them.

Windhorst’s Latest: Coaching Rumors

September 25th, 2020 at 6:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have interviewed more than 20 candidates for their head coaching opening and are now scheduling second interviews, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Appearing on The Jump (video link) on Friday, Windhorst said that former Kings coach Dave Joerger, Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and 76ers assistant Ime Udoka are among the candidates expected to receive second interviews with the Pacers. ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups is also in the mix.

Windhorst doled out a number of other tidbits regarding coaching vacancies:

The Sixers have focused in on two high-profile candidates, Mike D’Antoni and Tyronn Lue, and that could impact what the Pelicans will do. New Orleans is “very interested” in Clippers assistant Lue, who won a championship in Cleveland with current Pelicans executive David Griffin. However, the Pelicans may have to wait until Philadelphia decides what it wants to do before pursuing Lue in earnest.
The Thunder appear to be going into rebuild mode and that increases the chances it will hire a first-time head coach. Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and perhaps Spurs assistant Will Hardy have emerged as contenders for the job.
As previously reported, the Rockets are looking seriously at Clippers assistant and former Houston player Sam Cassell and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy.