Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Rockets Hire Former Celtics Head Coach Ime Udoka, Who Might Look to Bring Jaylen Brown with Him
Last Wednesday, Ime Udoka interviewed with the Houston Rockets, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic first reported.
There were also rumors of Udoka staying in the Atlantic Division and becoming the next head coach of the Toronto Raptors, meaning he'd face the Boston Celtics four times a season. That chatter grew louder when the Raptors announced they were moving on from Nick Nurse.
But less than a week after meeting with the Rockets, Udoka's agreed to become their new bench boss, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
It's an attractive opportunity. Houston has a young core featuring Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun that's brimming with potential.
And they're poised to add to that after finishing the campaign 22-60, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the second-worst record in the NBA. Those two and the Detroit Pistons all have a 14 percent chance of getting the top pick in this year's draft and winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The Rockets and Spurs, respectively, have a 52.1 percent chance of making a pick in the top four. But if neither does, the former will come on the clock before the latter, the result of this year's end-of-season random drawing to determine tiebreakers and help sort out the draft order.
As previously detailed, that outcome is a positive one for Boston.
Beyond what the draft might bring, Houston's a warm-weather city, and Texas has no state tax, traits that make it an appealing option and a legitimate potential landing spot for NBA stars looking to take their talents elsewhere.
And while the Celtics must be happy about Udoka going to a Western Conference team, there is the possibility he tries to recruit Jaylen Brown to the Rockets. The two built a strong relationship, and it's a prospect worth monitoring.
Granted, Brown turned in an All-NBA caliber campaign, averaging 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this season, all career highs, and earned his second All-Star selection.
If Brown makes an All-NBA team, he becomes eligible for a five-year, $290 million veteran supermax extension this summer. His doing so is Boston's best bet to re-sign him before his current contract expires and appreciably boosts the odds he stays with the only franchise he's known for at least the next few years.
Beyond Brown, as detailed when the Celtics removed the interim tag from Joe Mazzulla, Udoka brought most of the current coaching staff to Boston. Many of the team's assistant coaches share Oregon roots with him, and it'll be interesting to see if and how many join Udoka in Houston.
Regarding what led to the Celtics suspending Udoka for violations of team policies, Wojnarowski left it at "the Rockets probed the circumstances" surrounding his departure.
Further Reading
Celtics Address Game 3 Loss to Hawks: 'This One Tonight is On Me'
[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead
The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'
