Ime Udoka Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Notes: Eason, Smith, Udoka, FA Targets

May 4th, 2023 at 7:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rockets forward Tari Eason has switched agents. Eason is signing on with Wasserman, his new agency has announced (Twitter link).

Excel Sports Management had served as Eason’s prior representation to this point. Per Liz Mullen of The Sports Business Journal, Thad Foucher and Chafie Fields will be his Wasserman reps.

The 6’8″ forward out of LSU appeared in all 82 games for Houston in 2022/23, averaging 9.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 APG and 0.6 BPG off the bench.

There’s more out of Houston:

2022 Rockets lottery pick Jabari Smith Jr. is switching his jersey number ahead of his second NBA season, from No. 1 to No. 10, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Smith had worn No. 10 while at Auburn, but former teammate Eric Gordon had already staked his claim to that number prior to Smith’s arrival. With the veteran shooting guard now on the Clippers, a path has been cleared for Smith to secure his former college digits.
New Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was brought aboard after thorough vetting from Houston decision makers. Kelly Iko of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the process of bringing the former Celtics head coach to the Rockets, who also seriously considered former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and ex-Hornets head coach James Borrego. Houston was said to be intrigued by the quick, strong bond Udoka had forged with Boston players during his lone NBA Finals-bound with the club.
In a separate piece, Iko spoke with various scouts around the league about several possible free agent targets for the Rockets this summer. Iko took a look at former Houston guard James Harden, who won an MVP in 2018 with the Rockets, and restricted Lakers free agent Austin Reaves. Veteran forwards Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes, along with Bucks wing Khris Middleton, were also examined.

Stein’s Latest: Bridges, Udoka, Raptors, Mavericks, Silas

May 1st, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Rival front offices are expecting Miles Bridges to re-sign with the Hornets this summer, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack article. Bridges, who will be suspended for the first 10 games of next season, didn’t play this year after being charged with felony domestic abuse for a June 2022 incident. Stein adds that in announcing the suspension, commissioner Adam Silver cited a mutual agreement between league officials and Bridges’ representatives at Klutch Sports that resulted in him sitting out the 2022/23 season.

Stein notes that Charlotte has a June 29 deadline to tender a $7.7MM qualifying offer that will make him a restricted free agent. One indication of Bridges’ possible intentions, Stein adds, is an online photo of himself that he recently posted wearing Hornets gear during a workout.

Bridges was expected to be one of the top names on the 2022 free agent market before the domestic abuse case. He became a full-time starter during his fourth NBA season and averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 80 games.

There’s more from Stein:

Ime Udoka, who was hired as the Rockets‘ new head coach last week, was on a similar hiatus from the league. Udoka was suspended for the season by the Celtics following an affair with a subordinate, and although there was no official punishment from the NBA, the league office agreed with the way Boston handled the situation, Stein adds. “The Celtics decided that he should be suspended for a year,” Silver said. “We reviewed that and determined it was fair under those circumstances. And then when other teams — and it wasn’t just the Rockets — asked us if he would be able to coach next season, we said he would be.”
The Raptors had interest in hiring Udoka to replace Nick Nurse, but they intended to conduct a thorough coaching search that would last well into May, sources tell Stein. When the Rockets made a four-year offer reportedly worth $28.5MM, Udoka thought it was best to take that opportunity.
The Mavericks are expected to consider James Borrego and Jeff Hornacek for openings on Jason Kidd‘s staff. Stein adds that Frank Vogel would be a logical addition because Kidd worked for him with the Lakers, but Vogel is still pursuing head coaching opportunities. Stein mentions former Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts as another possibility for Dallas.
The Celtics would like to hire ex-Rockets head coach Stephen Silas as an assistant to Joe Mazzulla next season, sources tell Stein. Silas was seen in Boston last week at Game 5 of the first-round series with Atlanta.

Rockets Notes: Udoka, Green, Smith, Porter

April 30th, 2023 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

At his introductory press conference as the Rockets‘ new head coach, Ime Udoka publicly addressed the events in Boston for the first time since his suspension was announced last fall, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Without revealing many specifics of the incident, Udoka admitted that he made a mistake and said he hopes the experience will ultimately make him a better coach.

“Really, that time off and really a full understanding of how many people you impact with a poor decision, that starts with ownership and accountability,” he said. “I preach that to players. I take responsibility for my part in it. I took leadership and sensitivity training and some counseling with my son to help him improve the situation I put him in. You can grow from adversity — and I think I’ve done that this year — if you … take the right steps.”

Owner Tilman Fertitta said the Rockets received approval from the commissioner’s office before hiring Udoka, who received a four-year, $28.5MM contract. After three years of rebuilding, the organization was eager to add a coach with a proven track record.

“The NBA told me that they felt very comfortable with Ime becoming the coach of the Houston Rockets,” Fertitta said. “That felt good to me after a lengthy conversation. We’re a forgiving society, and everybody makes mistakes.”

There’s more from Houston:

Udoka should have an immediate influence on the Rockets’ young talent, states Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Weiss expects Udoka to help Jalen Green learn how to slow down his game and play under control, and he envisions Jabari Smith Jr. developing into an exceptional defender in the role that Robert Williams plays in Boston. Weiss points to Kevin Porter Jr. as someone who could either improve under Udoka’s guidance or wind up being shipped to another team.
With their coaching hire out of the way, the Rockets will turn toward maximizing the roughly $60MM in cap space they’ll have this summer, Feigen adds in another Chronicle article. According to Feigen, the organization is still committed to the core pieces of its rebuilding process — Green and Smith, along with Tari Eason and Alperen Sengun — but Udoka talked about the need for a “different” type of big man. The front office will also prioritize shooting and hopes to add some veterans to an inexperienced roster.
Fertitta revealed that the Rockets plan to build a new $70MM practice facility, Feigen states in a separate story. It’s expected to be completed for the 2024/25 season.

Ime Udoka Named Rockets’ Head Coach

April 25th, 2023 at 8:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

APRIL 25: Udoka has officially been named the Rockets’ head coach, according to a team press release.

“We are excited to welcome Ime to the Houston Rockets,” Stone said in a statement. “Ime’s intelligence, drive and toughness were the traits we were looking for in a coach to lead our team through this next stage of our development as we strive to become a champion.

“We were honored to have the opportunity to speak to multiple outstanding candidates throughout the interview process and felt that Ime’s vision best aligned with the goals the Fertitta Family and myself have for the future of the Rockets.”

APRIL 24: Former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has reached an agreement with the Rockets to become their next head coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

Udoka replaces Stephen Silas, whose team option for 2023/24 was declined after the season.

After leading Boston to the NBA Finals last season, Udoka was suspended by the club this season for an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. Udoka essentially became a free agent when the Celtics removed the interim tag from his replacement, Joe Mazzulla, in mid-February.

Udoka was prominently mentioned during the Rockets’ search right from the start and the team’s interest in him grew after their initial meeting, according to Wojnarowski’s sources (Twitter link).

Udoka and Houston GM Rafael Stone remained in communication and reached an agreement over the last 24 hours. A young roster, salary flexibility and a 14% chance to land Victor Wembanyama at the No. 1 overall pick swayed Udoka to take the job.

Houston was tied with San Antonio for the league’s second worst record at 22-60.

The Rockets also interviewed several other prominent coaches for the job, including former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, former Hornets coach James Borrego and former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. Sixers assistant Sam Cassell, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Suns assistant Kevin Young were also in the mix and Houston also had reported interest in Nick Nurse, who recently parted ways with the Raptors.

Vogel was also considered particularly impressive in his interview, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.

Udoka was considered a serious candidate for the Toronto job before coming to terms with the Rockets.

Raptors Notes: P. Mutombo, Stackhouse, Nurse, Offseason

April 22nd, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Reporting in the wake of Nick Nurse‘s dismissal on Friday indicated that Ime Udoka would be one of the candidates the Raptors seriously consider to become their next head coach. Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms Toronto’s interest in Udoka and adds a couple more names to the team’s possible list of targets, writing that Patrick Mutombo and Jerry Stackhouse may receive consideration.

Mutombo, currently an assistant on Monty Williams‘ staff in Phoenix, was on the Raptors’ coaching staff from 2016-20 and coached the team’s G League affiliate (Raptors 905) from 2020-22 before joining the Suns last offseason.

Stackhouse also has an existing relationship with the Raptors, having been an assistant with the team in 2015/16 and the Raptors 905 head coach from 2016-18. He spent a season as an assistant coach with the Grizzlies in 2018/19 and has been the head coach at Vanderbilt since 2019. Stackhouse has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Pistons’ head coaching vacancy, though there has been no indication that he’ll interview for that position.

Here’s more on the Raptors and their newly opened head coaching job:

Some people in the Raptors organization were surprised by Friday’s news on Nurse, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says Nurse and team president Masai Ujiri met four teams in the nine days after Toronto’s season ended. That level of communication is unusual for a team about to let go of a head coach, but Ujiri felt the Raptors needed a new voice and Nurse “welcomed the change,” says Lewenberg.
Raptors management had some questions about Nurse’s style of communication, Lewenberg writes, noting that the head coach had a habit of calling out players publicly without talking to them privately first. Following a bad loss in December, Nurse held closed-door meetings with some players and staffers that Lewenberg hears were “intense” and “confrontational.” Nurse also had a “tense” relationship with one assistant coach after telling him not to accompany the team on a road trip in January, Lewenberg adds.
Observing that several Raptors players improved individually, but not collectively, Ujiri said on Friday that he expects to make changes in Toronto this offseason beyond hiring a new coach, per Lewenberg. “I think changes are going to be made on all fronts,” Ujiri said. “We’re going to address that with the team. We saw how different players on our team would rise, would do well, but we never did it collectively. Maybe that could be fit. Maybe that could be system, sometimes role orientation, sometimes accountability – all the things we are going to really look at it how our roster is built. We believe in the players we have. Whether it’s tweaks or major changes, we’re definitely going to look at everything.”

Latest On Rockets’ Head Coaching Search

April 21st, 2023 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets, who kicked off their head coaching search very early in the offseason, are progressing toward a second round of interviews with some of their candidates, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Frank Vogel and Ime Udoka are expected be involved in that second round, which will also see newly available Nick Nurse be introduced to the process.

While Wojnarowski suggests a second round of interviews is around the corner, it doesn’t appear the Rockets have completed their first round yet.

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), Sixers assistant Sam Cassell – whose candidacy was previously reported – will interview with Houston on Sunday. Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle says that the club also still plans to meet with Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson in the coming days.

Both Cassell and Atkinson are employed by teams that are competing in the first round of the playoffs, so I imagine it’s more logistically challenging for the Rockets to schedule interviews with those candidates than the ones who are between jobs.

Here’s more on the Rockets’ coaching search:

In addition to Vogel and Udoka, the Rockets have also completed their initial interviews with James Borrego, Adrian Griffin, and Kevin Young, Feigen confirms. Adding Cassell, Atkinson, and Nurse to that group would give Houston a total of eight candidates, which was the number initially reported at the time the team parted ways with Stephen Silas.
Iko and Eric Koreen of The Athletic teamed up to take a closer look at Nurse’s style of coaching, to break down his performance with the Raptors, and to consider how he might fit with the Rockets.
The Rockets are overdue to get a head coaching hire right, Jerome Solomon writes in a column for The Houston Chronicle, arguing that the franchise hasn’t hit a home run on that front since bringing in Rudy Tomjanovich way back in 1992.

Raptors Part Ways With Nick Nurse

April 21st, 2023 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

Nick Nurse won’t be returning to the Raptors next season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is parting ways with its head coach.

A Raptors assistant under Dwane Casey beginning in 2013, Nurse was promoted to be Casey’s replacement in 2018 and has spent the last five seasons in that role. His NBA head coaching career got off to a fast start, as he led Toronto to its first-ever championship in 2019, then earned Coach of the Year honors in 2020.

Since 2020, however, Nurse’s Raptors have been up and down, winning just 27 games while playing their home games in Tampa in 2020/21 and then finishing with a disappointing .500 regular season record in ’22/23 before being eliminated in their first play-in game. Toronto won 48 games in ’21/22, but was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.

In total, Nurse had a 227-163 (.582) regular season record and a 25-16 (.610) playoff mark as the Raptors’ head coach.

While Nurse was a strong tactician and was willing to experiment with unique ideas and strategies, some key relationships with players, coaches, and management became strained during the 2022/23 season, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. After rumors about his future began to swirl in March, Nurse directly addressed those reports and provided no assurances about his long-term commitment to Toronto, telling reporters that he’d evaluate his future after the season.

Nurse’s contract had one more year left on it, but there was a belief that even if the Raptors wanted to bring him back, he wouldn’t be comfortable returning without an extension. He and president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri met multiple times after the team’s season ended last week to discuss possible paths forward, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Those conversations presumably made it clear to the team that a breakup was in its best interest.

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), the lack of development for bench players, overly taxing workloads for starters, and a desire for more structure and accountability were factors the Raptors considered in dismissing Nurse.

Ujiri will hold a media session later on Friday, where he’ll certainly be asked to discuss management’s thinking in more detail. For now, he has issued a statement in a press release confirming the decision to seek a new head coach — the Raptors framed the move as Nurse having been “relieved of his duties.”

“The decision to make a change like this is never arrived at easily or taken lightly, especially when it comes to a person who has been an integral part of this franchise’s most historic accomplishments, and who has been a steady leader through some of our team’s most challenging times,” Ujiri said. “As we reflect on Nick’s many successes, we thank him and his family, and wish them the best in future. This is an opportunity for us to reset, to refocus, to put into place the personnel and the players who will help us reach our goal of winning our next championship.”

As previously reported, former Celtics coach Ime Udoka is expected to receive serious consideration from the Raptors as Nurse’s replacement, tweets Wojnarowski. Udoka led Boston to the NBA Finals in his first year as head coach in 2021/22, but was suspended and then let go after reportedly having an extramarital affair with a member of the organization.

Hiring a new head coach will be just one important part of a busy offseason for Ujiri and the Raptors, who will likely have Jakob Poeltl, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. heading to unrestricted free agency.

Meanwhile, despite no longer coaching Canada’s only NBA club, Nurse will continue to lead the country’s national team through at least the 2024 Olympics, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

As for Nurse’s next NBA job, Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that he’s expected to become a “prominent” candidate in the Rockets‘ head coaching search, which has also been previously reported.

Western Notes: Lindsey, Udoka, Borrego, Westbrook, Holmgren, Blazers, Towns

April 17th, 2023 at 9:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are in advanced discussions with former Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey to join the organization as a special assistant to GM Nico Harrison, Marc Stein of the Stein Line reports (via Twitter). Harrison has been seeking an experienced sounding-board voice to join the front office in a consultant’s role, dating to last offseason.

Following their failure to make the playoffs, the Mavericks have a pivotal offseason that includes trying to re-sign Kyrie Irving and finding ways to improve the roster, despite limited trade assets and salary cap issues.

We have more on the Western Conference:

The Rockets will interview former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka for their head coaching job on Wednesday, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets. They interviewed former Hornets head coach James Borrego on Monday for their head coaching job, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The Rockets have already interviewed former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and are expected to interview a number of experienced head coaches and prominent assistant coaches in their search to replace Stephen Silas.
Russell Westbrook is unlikely to be suspended for Game 2 of the Clippers’ series against the Suns, Chris Haynes of TNT tweets. Westbrook had a verbal altercation with a fan during halftime of Game 1 on Sunday.
Chet Holmgren missed the entire season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot but the Thunder big man is ready to get back on the court, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, says most of the recovery and rehab process is behind him. “I’m pretty much past the rehab part of this journey,” Holmgren said, “and now I’m progressing more into the 5-on-5 stuff and kind of taking away any restrictions that I have to this point.”
There could be a major change with the Trail Blazers’ guard rotation, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian notes. General manager Joe Cronin must decide whether Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe are part of the team’s long-term plans. Either or both could be traded for the All-Star level talent that Damian Lillard craves. Conversely, Simons and Sharpe could be the backcourt starters if Lillard is dealt and Portland goes into a full rebuild.
The Timberwolves will look to bounce back from their 29-point loss to top seed Denver when they play Game 2 on Wednesday. They’ll need a huge series from Karl-Anthony Towns to have any chance in the series, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic details.
The matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets could show just how far the Timberwolves are from becoming a true contender and whether the Towns-Rudy Gobert pairing can get them to that point, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines.

Rockets To Interview Sam Cassell For Head Coaching Job

April 13th, 2023 at 7:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets have been granted permission to interview Sixers assistant coach Sam Cassell for their head coaching vacancy, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link).

The Rockets and Cassell are still working on scheduling the interview, according to Feigen. Houston began its search for a new lead coach this week after declining to pick up its option on the fourth year of Stephen Silas‘ contract.

A former NBA player, Cassell was a one-time All-Star point guard and won three championships — including two with Houston — during his 16-year career (he was technically still active in 2008/09, though he didn’t appear in a game). He spent his first three seasons with the Rockets from 1993-96.

This is Cassell’s 14th season as an assistant coach and third with Philadelphia, having made previous stops with the Wizards and Clippers. He has worked under Doc Rivers for the past nine years.

The Rockets reportedly intend to look at about eight or nine candidates for the job, and many of them have already been identified. Cassell was not previously mentioned.

Feigen reports that the Rockets don’t plan to hire anyone before they interview all of the targets on their initial list. He writes that list could expand should other candidates become available — Raptors coach Nick Nurse has been mentioned multiple times as a possible target.

Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel has already interviewed for the job, and so has former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, per Feigen. The Rockets have also been granted permission to interview Suns assistant Kevin Young, Feigen adds — it was previously reported that they were still trying to secure permission.

Rockets Set To Interview Kenny Atkinson, Adrian Griffin, Others

April 11th, 2023 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets aren’t wasting any time seeking out a replacement for former head coach Stephen Silas, whose team option for 2023/24 was declined on Monday.

Houston has sought and received permission to interview Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), and was also granted permission to meet with Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

In addition to Atkinson and Griffin, the Rockets are securing permission to interview Suns associate head coach Kevin Young, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter).

Houston is also in the process of scheduling meetings with former NBA head coaches Ime Udoka, Frank Vogel, and James Borrego, with Raptors coach Nick Nurse expected to be another top target if he becomes available, says Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Multiple reports have indicated that the Rockets are expected to meet with about eight or nine candidates as they look to replace Silas. Not counting Nurse, the team’s list of interviewees is already at six names. Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks was previously identified as a candidate too, though there’s no word yet on the club lining up a meeting with him.

There has been speculation that the Rockets will look for a more experienced candidate during their latest head coaching search, but not all of their candidates fit that bill. While Atkinson, Udoka, Vogel, and Borrego have previously served as head coaches, Griffin and Young would be first-timers.

It’s worth noting that Atkinson tentatively accepted the Hornets’ head coaching position a year ago before backing out of that agreement and staying in Golden State. If he emerges as the Rockets’ top target, the team would obviously look to avoid a repeat of that situation. Additionally, Houston will have to do plenty of background work on Udoka, whose Celtics exit was related to an extramarital affair he had with a member of the organization.

Feigen previously reported that the Rockets would likely begin conducting interviews before the end of this week.