Rockets Reportedly Considering 76ers' Target Ty Lue to Replace Mike D'Antoni

Like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Houston Rockets are searching for a new head coach. This past Saturday, the Houston Rockets were eliminated from the 2020 NBA Playoffs in Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers. A day later, the Rockets' veteran head coach Mike D'Antoni announced he wouldn't be returning to Houston next season.

Now, D'Antoni's on the Sixers' radar, according to reports. While the Rockets haven't shown any interest in former 76ers head coach Brett Brown, Houston does reportedly have its eyes on one of Philly's top targets this offseason.

Los Angeles Clippers assistant Ty Lue might be the most popular head coaching candidate available right now. Although other notable names such as Billy Donovan and D'Antoni became available over time, it seems there are teams interested in bringing Lue back into the spotlight as he's got a proven track record of coaching multiple stars on one roster.

For a while, the race for Lue's services seemed to be between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets, as they both possess two All-Stars as the face of their respective franchises. As we know now, the Nets elected to go with first-time head coach Steve Nash -- leaving the Sixers as the top candidate for Lue, potentially.

However, with the Rockets in the market for a new head coach, they're now joining the Ty Lue sweepstakes, according to Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic. [The Rockets] will look to conduct a culture reset," Iko and Amick wrote on Tuesday. "As for D'Antoni's replacement, sources say ESPN analyst and former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy is expected to be a candidate. Other media outlets have named Clippers assistant coach Ty Lue as a candidate as well."

A Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons-led roster is an imperfectly intriguing situation -- but so is the Russell Westbrook, James Harden-led team in Houston as well. The good news for the Sixers is that Lue was reportedly interested in the job weeks ago, but a lot can change over time as the Rockets' job is the one that's most recently available.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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