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The Houston Rockets are declining the fourth-year option on head coach Stephen Silas’ contract, marking the end of his run with the team according to Adrian Wojnarowski. The decision is expected to be formalized Monday.
The Houston Rockets are declining to pick up the fourth-year option on coach Stephen Silas’ contract, ending his three-year run leading the franchise’s rebuild, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/aJqxY91d31
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 9, 2023
Silas inherited a full rebuild, as superstar James Harden requested a trade ahead of the head coach’s first season with the team. The Rockets have actually won more games every year in Silas’ tenure, but remain near the bottom of the West standings. This team is loaded with draft picks and young talent, but the front office clearly hasn’t liked the way Silas has developed the roster.
We’ll see if the Rockets make a move on potential candidates now or wait until the NBA lottery and NBA draft. If Houston does land the No. 1 overall pick and seems set to take Victor Wembanyama, finding the right head coach for him will be crucial. There’s also a rumor Harden wants to come back to Houston this summer, so the Rockets will have to factor that into the equation as well when honing in on a new coach.